Culinary Rivals
by 122 Generation
Summary: They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. But what if that 'man' seems to cook way better than you? Enjoy these appetizing chapters, set in Kalos, to find out. Darksteelshipping at its culinary finest, served with a side of Gracefulshipping.
1. Dinner Hours

**Hello, everyone! This is just a little story I thought of last year and completely based on food and cooking dramas. If you like food, then this might be the story for you! I also had a bit of inspiration from Disney's 'Ratatouille' as well.**

**Since I am currently working on Lasting Friendships, it'll be a while before I update this story, but it's worth reading as a teaser!**

**Please note that Steven, as well as Cynthia, are both 25 years old in this story.**

* * *

_**Chapter one: Dinner Hours**_

Steven Stone added the finishing touches to his work of art; that is, they were appetizing pieces of parsley garnish. The work of art in question was a delicious savoury and sour soup cooked with white wine and lemon. Overall, the soup would have the appeal of a creamy white soup finished and topped with pepper and parsley. After cooking, Steven would pour the soup from the pan to the stone plate – with a wide white bowl on top.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and gently placed the finished work on the steel table in front of him, where a waitress would take the soup and hand it out to the customer.

"The soup will get cold soon," Steven warned her. "Hurry so they can enjoy it."

"You got it, sir!" the waitress replied happily.

It was the evening, and specifically, it was the busiest time of the evening – dinner. As head chef of the high-end first class restaurant, Steven had a lot on his hands. At least half of the meals ordered were prepared by Steven alone. The rest of his staff – a team of cooks – would cook the other half, and more than enough times Steven could count did they half to ask him if they cooked the food properly.

"Those customers are flowing in by the minute!" the waitress holding the soup added. "Tens of tens of orders are going and going –"

"Keep a cool head," Steven advised. "It helps with the focus."

Ever since he had been dethroned as Hoenn champion, the 25-year old Steven (assume he's 25) really needed to find something else to do (he was fine with being dethroned, since he needed to release the burden of League duties at some point, and he _knew_ that's what Wallace was there for). Sure, he could have excavated stones. He could have moved to Sinnoh and lived in his villa (but there was no chance of that since he _sold_ the villa). But _no…_ he needed a way to make some money. The ex-champion needed income!

And so, Steven left Hoenn for a month for the prosperous Castelia City, where he learned _how to cook_. Indeed, it was the most unexpected move anyone could have imagined. Even his own father was shocked to hear Steven wanted to learn about cooking. Even more so, Steven wanted to learn about high-end cooking. It seemed to suit him.

He nearly, nearly, failed his cooking exam in the city, where fourteen of the twenty supervisors noted how stressful Steven was cooking the food, and all the five critics called Steven's food creations 'the most appealing foods every seen'. They were serious. In addition, one of the five food critics complimented Steven with excellent appraisal.

How could Steven have nearly, nearly, failed his cooking exam if he did so well with the food creations? The answer was his desserts. During the exam, they were so badly made that four of the five food critics called the desserts 'revolting', and only one of them called the desserts 'barely and merely adequate' (and that _one_ critic's remark was the reason Steven passed). Steven failed at desserts, but received multiple accolades for his entrées.

After receiving his honours, Steven needed to find work, but for some unsuspecting reason he wanted to work in a business started by him. He had excellent management skills in the Pokémon League, so why couldn't he apply them to business? It wasn't as if all his managing skills were made for the Pokémon League alone. Still, to start a business, he needed a lot of money.

But Steven was rich, wasn't he? The suit and tie said it all.

To everyone's infuriation, Steven took a massive bank loan to start his business. The business, in fact, was named the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, hence his name.

In the most ironic sense ever, Steven purchased a huge piece of property at Kalos's Cyllage City with the loaned money. Restaurant staff jobs were created, furnishings were purchased, several state-of-the-art kitchens were installed, food orders began to arrive, and pretty much the entire first-class restaurant Steven had in mind was raised to life from the ground. Steven took the career of a head chef and manager of the establishment, and his business flourished.

A description of the restaurant, in simple terms, would be a cubic steel-framed structure that spanned three storeys high, with an all-glass exterior. The inside included white, solid flooring, with white walls and black walls, along with frosted glass and lighting illuminating off every wall. Thanks to the glass exterior, each table had a spectacular view of the ocean. In the front middle of the building, also three storeys high, there was the lobby with metal staircases and a chandelier.

Finally, there were the state-of-the-art kitchens in the rear middle of the lobby where the cooking was done. It stood only at the bottom floor.

And his staff! Apart from the cooks, waiters, and waitresses, there were also janitorial staff, museum staff, and management professionals. The cooks, excluding Steven, dressed in plain white cooking jackets all buttoned up. The waiters, waitresses, and almost everyone working there dressed in neat black suits with white ties. Steven alone continued to wear his personal black suit with purple traces and a red tie.

All except for Steven's Metagross, who hovered above the floor to deliver meals.

Steven's business started off small, but increasing popularity and happy reviews spiked revenue and profits. It wasn't bad.

Within a year, and thanks to thriving business and job opportunities as well as people paying to see his rock exhibitions, the debt the ex-Hoenn champ owed to the bank was repaid in full.

Critics from different regions came to visit his restaurant, and after the reviews were published Steven's restaurant became a popular tourist destination. It seemed coincidental that the restaurant fit in with the resort city. Aside from the design of the building, there was an exhibition museum complex built in conjunction with the restaurant showcasing Steven's personally collected stones, and it was as popular as the restaurant itself. The museum provided more jobs, and it only increased the profits of Steven's business.

Nevertheless, the only thing Steven did not make himself was desserts. Only his fellow cooks could make them, and they were… alright, but not the best.

"We've got more orders coming in!" a second waitress called out to Steven in the kitchen. "A group of sixteen has brought in a huge order. I don't know if we're going to manage this night!"

"It's all part of work," Steven assured. "Keep a steady pace, but be efficient!"

He proceeded to making the next dish – which was a simple salad. Perhaps 'simple' was an understatement, because the salad Steven was making consisted of fine greens with wonderfully fresh mushrooms, many clusters of blue cheese, red peppers, onions, grilled tomato, and served with a side of creamy honey and chive dressing.

Without saying much, Steven chopped two washed mushrooms into little blocks on a board. Concentrating on each cut, he moved the mushroom quickly, but moderately cut small pieces with the cutting knife. After the mushrooms were cleanly cut, Steven lifted the board, held it near the dish, and with the knife pushed all the little mushroom pieces onto the green salad. The board and knife were put down after.

"Who's making grilled tomato?" Despite how he said it, it wasn't a question.

"I'm on it," his 25-year old sous chef, James d'Arc, answered. "I'll bring it to you when the grilling's done."

James, a fair-haired man with a medium length haircut, went straight to placing tomato slices over the grill. He waved to Steven.

Steven nodded and continued to place the mushroom pieces onto the salad.

"I need blue cheese for this dish," he ordered.

"You got it," one of his fellow cooks walked over and handed Steven a plate of blue cheese clusters. The aroma was so fresh from the distance that even the waitresses standing away turned their heads to smell the blue cheese handed to Steven.

The head chef, Steven, took the plate of blue cheese with one hand, and with his free hand sprinkled them over the salad. It smelled wonderful.

"Get the dressing going," he gave another cook the order.

"Honey and chives?"

"Honey and chives."

In the next minute, Steven was busy cutting red peppers and onions for the salad. A simple task.

Meanwhile, the cooks were adding cream and honey into a pan where a delicious and sweet salad dressing would be formed from it. Chopped pieces of chives would be added to the pan to increase the zest of the dressing. Simultaneously, the welcoming sound of sizzling dressing could be heard across the kitchen. The same cooks, after stirring the dressing, would take the little dressing they had produced and carefully pour it into a tiny pitcher.

Afterwards, Steven would add the red peppers and onions he had cut onto the salad, while one of the cooks would place the tiny pitcher onto the salad plate. To top it all off, sous chef James finished grilling the sliced tomatoes finally came over to place the slices onto the salad.

"It is done," Steven remarked. "Good job, everyone."

A waitress arrived to take the dish outside the kitchen, but not before saying, "Wow, Mr. Stone. This looks as delicious as ever! Could you make me one, sometime?"

The ex-Hoenn champ laughed. "When we have time, perhaps. The customers come first. Metagross! Take this to the customer."

That plate of salad was taken into Metagross' care, via controlled psychic power. Metagross levitated off the ground and the salad was taken out to the customer in the next minute. Steven and the rest of his cooking team, though, had to focus on the next running of orders. There were a lot of them!

On another side of the kitchen, cooks were preparing a multiple appetizer plate. Thin and crisp rice crackers topped with a choice of handmade cream cheese or humus (combining vegetable oil, garlic, and assorted herbs). Why, there was another group of cooks roasting spinach and cheese over a pocket of bread and rice!

* * *

Outside the kitchen, waiters and waitresses were busy trying to serve their respective customers. There might be some wanting to drink sparkling juice of different flavours and berries, some might want to delicately sample red or white wine, and some might want the liberty of drinking plain water with a side of squeezed lemon or lime juice.

Indeed, once the food was out of the kitchen, it would be taken by the waiters/waitresses by hand to table. Given the amount of people they had to serve (two levels!), it was no wonder that it serving the food was a tedious job, and it was no wonder the kitchen had two elevators installed to rapidly transport the food from bottom to top. In fact, the two elevators were in the lobby's plain sight. People who walked into the lobby could see the waitresses in the steel-framed elevator carrying servings and servings of food.

Currently, the dishes that the kitchen had created were on their way to their respective customers. As the waitresses walked out of the elevator, they were met with a blinding view of the sunset in the distance, as the first thing they saw upon walking out was the glass window in the distance. The soup and salad would be taken to a table where a newlywed couple would be happily enjoying them.

* * *

Back at the kitchen, Steven just received an order for a making of a molten cheese fondue. Knowing that a cheese fondue could harden without a constant supply of heat, he motioned for one of his staff for a pot and stand.

"You're going to have to light the fire for them," he reminded the waiter.

"Yes, sir," the waiter nodded.

Steven then walked in to a huge refrigerated storage and walked out carrying a huge block of aged cheese weighing several kilograms.

_This won't take long_, he thought.

With a specific knife, Steven cut a huge block of the aged cheese and placed it in the pot. A loaf of freshly baked bread was placed with the fondue set after. It was a busy night, and Steven was perfectly fine with that.

"We're going at a good pace, guys," Steven encouraged. "Let's make this good."

"Steven! A customer's ordered a Stone Accolade with red wine!"

"We're on it," Steven started.

The one dish that made Stone Restaurant and Bistro regionally famous: it was also unique to Steven too. A Stone Accolade consisted of choice spices, wonderfully fresh mushrooms, onions and peppers mixed and cooked together with garlic, olive oil, and – optionally – a choice of red or white wine, with a tiny core of cold, aged blue cheese, and complimented with genuinely thin slices of roast beef. To start, another three of Steven's cooks would be onto separate tasks. One cook would be baking a huge envelope of rice flour as well as making an onion au jus combined with herbs, while the other would be sautéing a slice of mozzarella also over olive oil whilst preparing to caramelise onions. James, the sous chef, was hastily waiting for the roast beef to – well – finish roasting.

Steven stirred the spices, peppers, and garlic, while hearing the sizzling sound of food ring throughout the kitchen. After a while, Steven reached out to take a bottle of red wine. He poured a small portion of the wine into the pan and saw a fire flare into the air. Steven continued to stir the concoction of peppers, mushrooms, onions, and spices until the flame disappeared. By then most of the other cooks were finished with their respective tasks and placed their works on a very flat and hot stone, which served as a plate. The thin, flat, cake of rice flour was into small squares by the cooks.

"The rice flour has been cooked well," the cook remarked. "It's ready, Steven."

All except for James, who had just begun to carefully take out the slab of roast beef, and began to carefully cut thin slices of the meat and pile them on the board. After a considerable amount of roast beef was piled up, James d'Arc slid the cutting knife under the stack of roast beef and tossed the meat onto the stone plate – namely the Stone Accolade.

Steven took the pan he had been working with and poured the well-cooked contents onto each square of rice flour. The cook immediately went to place a cold marble-sized ball of aged blue cheese on top of the cooked contents, followed by folding each thin square into parcels and enclosing the cooked contents as well as the aged blue cheese. In addition, this cook placed a miniature cup of herbed onion au jus to complete the stone dish. The second cook poured caramelised onions onto the stone. On top of the onions, he placed the sautéed slice of mozzarella.

"It is finished," Steven said. "You should be proud, guys."

The cooks smiled and went back to work.

"Order up!" Steven called out.

A young 19-year old waitress with shoulder-length auburn hair, dressed in the classic outfit of a white blouse and black vest, along with a black skirt quickly arrived to take the flat stone away from the kitchen. She had a name, of course. Martine Grenadine. She had been working at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro for two months, but after two months she accumulated a lot of experience at the restaurant than most would have anticipated, never mind the number of boys who looked at her and hoping to get her attention. In effect, she was said to be the next owner of the restaurant once Steven left, despite the number of workers in the restaurant.

"Will do, sir," Martine happily walked away with the burning hot stone (held with a glove) toward one of the two elevators in the kitchen. The elevator arrived almost instantly as Martine walked in. The doors closed, the elevator shot upward, and Martine walked out to find the table who ordered the trademark dish.

Eventually, she found it.

"Here you go," she said to the couple who were sitting down for the food. "Sorry about the wait, but the Stone Accolade takes a while to prepare. Red wine has been cooked with it as you asked, and please be careful: the stone is very hot."

"The view makes the wait worthwhile," the man said. "Thanks for the warning."

Martine bowed her head and walked away. Meanwhile, the customer cut open one of the rice parcels using only a fork, where a combination of onions, peppers, and spices burst out of the parcel and sizzled onto the stone. The customer seemed very satisfied and savoured every bite he could manage, and very slowly, come to that. With each bite of the Stone Accolade envelopes, eaten with a little bit of caramelised onion and a bit of grinded peppercorn, the flavours exploded in his mouth. As a result: complete satisfaction at its finest.

Martine, on the other hand, fetched a pitcher of ice water and filled the customers' glass.

"Complements to the chef and his cooks," the man's wife said to Martine.

"Thank you! Of course!" Martine said happily. "I'll be sure to let him know."

* * *

After hours, with many people having their first-class fill of food and paying their bills, it was time to close the restaurant. It felt great, having to serve so many people in a wonderful environment such as this one.

"Another good running of business today," Steven smiled as he locked the doors of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, whilst leaving the spotlights outside to reflect the aspiring design of the establishment. Steven was quite happy with the usual business.

"How are our profits today?" he said without looking.

He knew Martine and James would be among the last to leave. Also, James acted as a part-time accountant for the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, having graduated with a business degree at a university in Lumiose City the year before.

"We have taken in around 700,000 Pokedollars in revenue tonight," he said. "It's pretty good considering the number of people who showed up tonight. If not half the population of Cyllage City, a lot of people have enjoyed their meals, yes. If you don't count tips and gratitude, we're probably going to make an estimated… at least 250,000 in profits. I'm counting maintenance for the rock exhibition too."

"Excellent," Steven Stone smiled. "You've done well, James."

"It'd help if you could open a private business office in the restaurant someday," James said half-amusingly.

Steven yawned, but kept his smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to invest in a little expansion. We've plenty of profits already to add an office."

"You said it, boss!" Martine's sharp, but gentle, voice said.

Steven shook his head. "Martine… we've talked about this already. You don't have to go that far calling me boss. Mr. Stone works fine. Or, like the others, you can call me Steven."

"Sure… Steven," Martine reluctantly said, while brushing her red bangs from her forehead. "By the way, the customers send their regards to the chefs."

James smirked at first, but it faded into a smile. Steven did likewise.

The three of them walked past the shoreline of Cyllage City. Given the Stone Restaurant and Bistro was strategically positioned next to the shoreline, where the sun sets in the west, it was breathtaking to see the faintest sliver of light with the relaxing sounds of ocean waves.

But as they continued walking, Steven felt something out of place.

"Anyone notice the 'for sale' has gone missing?" he said.

James turned his head back to see what Steven meant. Across the restaurant he worked at, there was a plain, flat, piece of property that spanned a length that rivalled the building across from it. The property was barren and flat with nothing on it except for ground, but it was very wide and spacious. Initially, there was a 'for sale' sign advertising the sale of the property, but now it had been removed. For Steven and James, it was a sign of increasing business and profits.

"Someone must have bought it to develop residential blocs, I hope," James said.

"Maybe the developer will make offices," Steven added. "A hotel or maybe even a resort building! That'd be the stuff!"

That would not have been a surprise, given that the property faced the equally spectacular view of the west coast from an angle, even though Steven's restaurant was directly in front of it, and it was at level on the ground. Residents could move into the buildings, where they could treat themselves for dinner at the first-class restaurant.

"Just wait for increasing business," James said. "It should take a few weeks, but it'll be worth it."

"You said it," Steven agreed.

Or so Steven and James hoped. Martine alone was less sure.

* * *

**There's your teaser! Now... I'm off to working on another story...**

**Doesn't this chapter make you hungry? Anyone who reviews this chapter gets a free meal from Steven!**


	2. The (Pretty?) Rival Across the Street

**dawnleaf1234 and Assaultrogue269: you each get a free meal courtesy of Steven Stone!**

**Now, between writing Culinary Rivals, Poketopia Endurance Championship, Pokemon: Inception, and university, I never have enough time to write, except on the weekends. Even now, this is a chapter I wrote before I started university.**

**Currently, I have to focus on university alone now. If I can find time to write, I'll see how I'll allocate the time.**

* * *

_**Chapter two: The (Pretty?) Rival Across the Street**_

Two mornings later, Martine Grenadine's fears were justified.

Over a period of a day and two nights, construction crews had been working nonstop for hours and hours developing and raising a four-storey high building with concrete supports. What stood out from this structure was the top floor – a dome completely made of glass with only a steel frame to hold it together. Some hoped it might have been turned into a mall (Martine was one of them), but the way the structure was built featured a lot of outdoor patios and balconies, and multiple floors with glass windowing – framed with wood and steel – unlike the Stone Restaurant and Bistro.

Some hoped it would have been turned into an apartment bloc (James d'Arc hoped so), but no apartment building ever appears this hollow. Plus, there was a little extra complex extending from this building's side: it had a set of tables and chairs too!

"It looks like a café," James said.

"No café ever looks this massive," Martine said.

"I meant the side there," James muttered. "Say, if this place does become an apartment bloc, that'll good for business. After all, don't apartments have convenient coffee shops at the bottom? This'll be good!"

The three co-workers stood in awe of the huge structure. It kind of felt it was a rival to the Stone Restaurant and Bistro.

In minutes, however, the crescendo of an approaching truck could be heard on the left. In the distance, Steven saw a long moving truck approaching them on the road. The truck stopped in front of the new building and three people disembarked. They, from the looks of them, were workers of a moving/transport company.

One of them approached Steven.

"You the manager here?" he asked in a businesslike manner.

"Not at all," Steven replied. "What's going on?"

"Classified," said the worker. "You'll find out in a few minutes."

Martine piped, "But if we're going to find out in a few minutes, doesn't that make it _un_-classified? We have a right to know, right?"

No matter how Steven or James looked at it, Martine always had a way with words. Judging by the worker's reaction, Martine had him trapped. Finally, he gave in.

"It's going to be turned into a… dessert shop, I've heard," he said. "At least, that's what I've been told by those in the know. Don't ask me, because I don't know a thing. I just do what I'm told. All I can tell you is we're unloading a lot of cooking equipment."

_Dessert shop, huh?_ Steven thought. _That might be useful._

"Who is the manager?" Steven asked again. However, it was more of a demand than a request.

The moving worker glanced over to the road, and without answering Steven, he pointed in that direction before rejoining the construction crew to continue his work. Despite his unannounced departure, the employer and two employees from the Stone Restaurant and Bistro glanced at the road to see… something appear in the distance.

It looked like a taxi!

"Suppose that taxi's come all the way from Lumiose City," James said. "Just look at the decals on it. Where else could it have come from?"

The taxi drew closer, and Steven and Martine decided in that moment that James had a good eye. The taxi _was_ one that had come from Lumiose City, and even from this distance, James could clearly see what it was, and where it had come from.

"You don't suppose a restaurant owner would take a ride by _taxi_?" James asked.

Steven and Martine remained silent but watched the taxi pull in front of them. While the driver went to the back to retrieve some luggage, the rear door opened and someone stepped out.

It was a face many would recognise. Her near-platinum blond hair, her Lucario-like ornaments on her head, her 24-year old appearance, and…

A business suit? She wore black pants and heels, that was for certain, but unlike the times she repeatedly appeared, she wasn't wearing a black coat, but a black blazer, white blouse, and a black tie. What happened?

"That's… Cynthia… the Champion?" Martine said.

Their presence (Steven's, Martine's, and James') did not go unnoticed. When Cynthia stepped out of the taxi she fixed her gaze on the three people who were staring right back. There was a fair-haired man with a medium-length haircut, an auburn-haired girl who looked younger than she was, and…

"Ah, if it isn't Steven Stone," Cynthia said.

To her amusement, Steven appeared to be in a small state of shock. Martine, though, closely monitored Steven's reaction as soon as she recognised Cynthia.

"Long… long time no see," Steven appeared to be scrambling for words. To Martine, in particular, this was very amusing. "Wha… what are you doing here?"

Before Cynthia could even say a word, Martine cut in. "She's here to operate some sort of dessert shop, I guess! There's a café, so she can deliver plenty of cakes and pies and red bean ice cream. Etcetera. And maybe even some Kalos-style macarons! Oh… macarons…"

Indeed, Martine always had a way with words, and she drifted into a daydream thinking of macarons.

"I thought they were called _macaroons_?" Steven said.

Cynthia was spoken for.

"Macarons are different," she said. "Macaroons are more like clustered coconut or grounded almonds. But what we're talking about is the Kalos-style macaroon – a macaron – where we're talking about the sandwich cakes made of meringue and filled with buttercream. You know what I mean?"

"On the other hand, your friend's almost hit the mark," she said to Steven. "I'm actually here to operate a restaurant business, moreover. I've heard this city had a reputation for being a classy resort area, so I thought it'd be prospective to open a restaurant here!"

Neither Steven nor James was inclined to tell Cynthia that they operated the restaurant right across from the new establishment. They kept quiet but continued to listen to Cynthia's discussion. She started business in Cyllage City only a month prior to building the restaurant, and that she was an expert dessert-maker in Lumiose City.

However, both Steven and James – thinking about the business perspective – saw this posed a threat to _their_ business. What would happen to revenue and profits once Cynthia's got into gear?

"I thought you were still Champion of Sinnoh?" Steven asked. If anything, he hoped to persuade this woman to change her mind, but that hope felt very faint.

"Not anymore," she said. "I got beaten by some kid back in Sinnoh, so… I decided to move on and do something more productive. Sure, paperwork in the Pokémon League is permissible, but I thought maybe I can get some profit doing something else…"

Cynthia handed a business card to Steven. He took the card, briefly read it (_Former Champion Cynthia, Owner of Vue sur la Lune_), and put it in his wallet. At the same time, Cynthia handed what looked to be a voucher to Steven, "Well, since you're the first to see me here, I think I'll invite two of you to my opening dinner tonight. There'll be high-end food for you to see, so…"

Steven shook his head and pushed the voucher back into Cynthia's hands. "I have to work tonight, Cynthia. I think I'll pass."

Yet, Martine snapped out of her daydream, swiped the voucher from Cynthia's hands and pocketed it. "Of course he's going. I have plenty of time on my hands, and we work in the same place! He will have plenty of time, too!"

Cynthia smiled. "May I ask where do the three of you work? I'm surprised, Steven, that for a former Champion of Hoenn for this long, you'd rather spend your time here than working at your father's office back in Hoenn."

Steven was still slightly lost for words, but he straightened his tie.

"Office skills at Devon do come into use here," he said, "especially when I'm the administrator of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro just across from here."

Cynthia's smile remained constant. "I guess I'll see you tonight, then. Be sure to dress well! Although I think the suit right now shouldn't be a problem."

She left for the restaurant right after. For Steven, his first reaction was to turn to Martine, who took the voucher out of her pocket to her hand.

"Why do we need to go to this dinner?" he calmly asked Martine. "First, we just met someone who could be a threat to our business, and second, we have to operate that business tonight! We have no time, Martine."

James put a hand on Martine's shoulder.

"Consider the number of people who will show up tonight," he said. "We'll be busy tonight, so none of us can go, anyway."

* * *

Yet that night, there were a considerable number of seats and tables that were empty in the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. In Martine's opinion, she could have well survived the night without even having to work.

Even Steven had nothing much to do!

"Come _on_, Steven! Just one night, please? We can let James run the restaurant on his own if he isn't coming!" Martine pleaded. "At least it'll just be you and I. We can check out what kind of food there is... and maybe, _maybe_…."

"What is it?" Steven demanded. There was something fishy about Martine's tone.

"Oh, nothing!" Martine grinned. "Let's just go!"

Steven sighed, yet for some reason he _did_ want to check out Cynthia's restaurant for reasons unknown.

"James," Steven said. "Martine and I will take our leave early. You can close the restaurant but keep the bistro running."

"Roger that, Steven," James called back.

While business still existed within the walls of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, Steven and Martine found the less noisy atmosphere to be both relaxing and unsettling. If this continued, Steven thought, he would have to lay off at least half of the restaurant's workers. That would be the last action he wanted.

The two of them descended down the metal stairs toward the restaurant's lobby and foyer, where the majestic chandelier hung high above their heads. The two receptionists at the lobby, one handsome male and a pretty female, noticed their business admin leaving.

"Going on a date, Mr. Stone?" the male receptionist teased.

"Not in the slightest!" Martine cut in, before Steven could even formulate a response. "James was supposed to come too, but he declined. And on the contrary, Steven has someone else he likes!"

The female receptionist giggled. Steven, in a mix of confusion, frustration, and embarrassment, glared at the receptionist first, and then to Martine. The latter brushed her shoulder-length auburn locks and said, "Let's go outside and talk."

* * *

Steven Stone had no idea what was going on in Martine Grenadine's mind, but whatever it was, it seemed natural for a girl like her. Steven was still dressed in his neat suit, whereas Martine had changed into her other working uniform – a black blouse, black dress pants, and a white tie. That seemed appropriate to where they were going.

"What did you mean 'I have someone else I like'?!" Steven demanded. He had no idea what Martine was talking about, never mind his tone nor his suddenly pink cheeks and red ears.

"It's nothing much," Martine said, and Steven realised that Martine was using almost the exact same tone the male receptionist gave him just minutes ago. "I kind of noticed your reaction to seeing the Sinnoh champion – or the former one, I should say – and I couldn't help but think your reaction was really, really, cute, Steven!"

Steven glared at Martine, but she was all smiles.

He shook his head as they walked to the newly built Vue sur la Lune restaurant. "Martine, you do realise that this is a threat to my business here. Relationships are one thing, but business is another. Right now, what Cynthia is doing is she is going to wreck business at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. She's become not only a rival, but a competitor, too."

To Steven's disbelief, Martine wasn't shaken.

"Oh… but I had this idea of one of those classic stories," she said excitedly. "You have a guy as the main character, who does what he does for a living. In the next instance, a girl comes into his life and the two become bitter enemies to the end. Over time, the guy has feelings for the girl and the two end up with a good relationship –"

"Yeah, Martine, but this isn't a storybook, and I'm not the main character," Steven said, before Martine could go any further. Yet, Martine was very, very, persistent. She was 19-years old! Then again, Martine always had a way with words. Why did he, Steven, of all people, have to fall victim to a topic like _this?!_

"Face it, Steven, I watched you react to Cynthia when she first got here!" Martine grinned. "Your face was pinkish, a bit, and you couldn't say much to her either. I bet that when you were a Champion, you would look at her every time when you had the chance!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Martine."

Did Steven ever do that in his life? He wasn't sure, but if what Martine said was true, then this would either be good or bad news…

In an attempt to change the topic, as they approached the front doors of Vue sur la Lune, Steven said, "You really are quite the romanticist, aren't you, Martine?"

Martine's grin faded slightly, but not enough. She simply rolled her eyes at Steven. "I've read a lot of books when I was in school. There were so many genres to read, I just had to pick something. Romance was one of them, yes, but there were others too. I could tell you later, but why don't we check out what kind of food Cynthia makes?"

They passed the doors only to be greeted by a vast surrounding of marble and glass (this made Steven think back to his restaurant, which was primarily steel, wood, glass, and drywall). The waiting area was a lounge with a welcoming fireplace and armchairs.

Steven went ahead to the waitress to hand in the voucher, and was surprised to hear that the voucher entitled him and Martine to reserved seats. Well, since Cynthia specified it was for two people, Steven took advantage of that.

Within five minutes, Martine and Steven were seated at the third floor at a window seat, below the glass dome, overlooking the twinkling lights of Cyllage City. The two sat across from each other with a basket of bread and butter between them.

The smell of entrées filled the dome, but Steven had other thoughts than food. There were a lot more customers present in Vue sur la Lune as opposed to the Stone Restaurant and Bistro tonight.

"I don't understand why we're here," he said. "Still, I'm not going to let some 'instant restaurant' ruin mine. Mine started off small! Now, this… this restaurant starts off large!"

"Say that after we've had dinner," Martine said.

A waitress appeared in front of the two with a notebook in hand, unnoticed by Steven and Martine until now. "Well, are you ready to order? Oh, and would you like anything to drink, come to that?"

Martine ordered water and Steven a glass of red wine. Given they weren't that hungry either, they ordered a set of salads and vegetable soup. They didn't say much while they waited for the food to arrive, and instead they spent their time gazing around at the table styles and the design of the building itself.

"I'll admit, Cynthia did spend a good amount of time preparing this place," Martine commented. "Not that I have anything against _your_ restaurant that is."

But Steven wasn't paying attention, but rather he held his glass of wine in front of him, elbow on the table, and swirled the liquid with mere motions of his wrist. He was staring at the glass for some reason… or so Martine thought.

"Okay everyone, here is the moment of the night. Please welcome the owner of Vue sur la Lune, expert chocolatier and master dessert maker Cynthia!" a voice said from behind her, causing Martine to look back. There was an assembly of a waiter and a waitress walking together with – lo and behold – Cynthia herself. Applause filled the room, with the customers clapping loudly and the sound of clapping rebounding off the walls. Between the customers and the staff, Cynthia was standing there. This time, she was dressed in the usual outfit she was known for: black top, black dress pants, heels, and a long black coat.

When the clapping died down, Cynthia spoke. "Dear friends, it's my pleasure to welcome you to the opening night of Vue sur la Lune. I know it's only the first night, but I am pleased to see the number of customers who showed up tonight. Your patronage is much appreciated."

_As if_, Steven thought, but he continued to watch Cynthia.

"So now, I am pleased to announce – as you are the first customers of Vue sur la Lune – that I am offering a free batch of freshly made macarons to everyone here!" Cynthia continued. "Thank you for coming tonight for dinner, and here's to prosperity tonight!"

Apart from Steven, most people gathered on the floor applauded. Even Martine. (Needless to say this annoyed Steven a little).

"The master dessert maker, the honourable Cynthia, would be pleased to share a toast with every table," a waiter announced. "Please, be seated and enjoy your meals tonight. You will have opportunity to toast with Cynthia when your time has come."

Steven kept his eyes on Cynthia. Martine, on the other hand, could tell that Steven was watching the dessert master, but the question was – was Steven watching Cynthia out of admiration, or envy? That was question think about over dinner, as the salads and soups were placed on their table. (They both had green salads served with almonds and berries. Steven had a soup of rice and barley, and Martine had a blend of Tamato and Nomel berry soup.)

Steven ate the food absentmindedly and kept watching Cynthia.

While this happened, Martine smirked multiple times at Steven's expressions. His eyes told Martine that he was infatuated, but he wanted to bring down Cynthia's business before it could make an impact on his.

"Admirable," Martine whispered.

A plate of macarons was set between Steven and Martine. They were cold to the touch, but they looked and smelled appetizing nevertheless. There were six macarons on the plate, each with a light tint of a different colour. Martine, already craving for a delicious dessert, reached for a green macaron, feeling the crisp outer shell of meringue at her fingertips, and opened her mouth wide to bite half of the macaron.

"Oh… it's _so_… good!" Martine grinned, as she tasted the familiar crunch of the outer shell and the softness within… and the taste of green-coloured buttercream filling her senses. "I've had macarons before, but _wow_, I've never had a macaron this good. Boss, you should try one!"

Reluctantly, Steven reached for a light blue-coloured macaron and tasted it. In truth, he did find to macaron to be delicious, but his thoughts dwelled on his future, and how this could impact his business. What if Martine were to quit her job now and work for Cynthia?

He chewed on the macaron bits, as the sweet delicacy traveled past his heart toward his stomach.

* * *

About half an hour later, Cynthia was toasting with the table directly behind Martine. Steven had finished his soup and salad much earlier than Martine and resumed his position holding his glass of wine in front of him, and watching Cynthia.

Still, Martine monitored Steven's emotions. At this point, and in his current position, they were very difficult to read. What on earth was Steven thinking? But between the time the food arrived and when Steven had finished eating, the former champ kept peeking over Martine's shoulder to look at Cynthia.

_He's jealous of Cynthia yet still admiring her_, she thought.

"What are you thinking about, boss?" she said.

"Oh!" Steven's cheeks flushed. "Nothing… nothing." Yet he stared off at Cynthia – at one instance looking like he had seen nothing like her, and at another instance looking like he wished he had never seen her.

_AHA_, Martine thought. _I've got you at last…_

"She _is_ an attractive woman, isn't she?" Martine teased. Maybe, if she could ask enough questions, she just might be able to get her boss to crack.

His eyes became alert. "I don't know what you're getting at, Martine. We've talked about this already. There's no need to go further."

"Look at her elegance!" Martine disregarded his warning. "That attractive face, the figure, the platinum-like blond hair that falls down to her knees… incredible, isn't it? Why haven't you made your move yet? There aren't a lot of people like her… who once was a champion like you, and now ends up opening a food business. Admit it, boss, she's really pretty!"

"Behave!" Steven glared. "She's not my love life, okay?! She's my –"

"Hello, hello, if it isn't my neighbour," Cynthia greeted and holding her glass up to Steven. "Former Hoenn champion Steven."

Steven flushed. (Martine, secretly, was laughing hard inside out). "Oh, hello, Cynthia," Steven quietly said, and likewise held his glass up to Cynthia (with shaky hands). "Well, I don't have much to say… but here's to your success."

A man has a crush on a woman who happens to be his main rival, and Steven and Cynthia were toasting before her eyes right after an interesting argument. Oh, what more could Martine ask to embarrass her boss! Martine sometimes would wonder if Cynthia felt the same, but she doubted it. Still, she could predict the next few weeks would turn out interesting…

* * *

**You have to give credit to Martine Grenadine here.**

**Review please! Anyone who reviews gets a freshly baked macaron from Cynthia!**


	3. Love, Hate, and Economics

**I know I said to others that my university time cuts into my writing time, but Culinary Rivals is so relevant with my university work, I thought, "Why don't I integrate university work into Fanfiction at the same time?" I'm still trying to balance writing and university, nevertheless.**

**Guest1267, werehogdog, and dawnleaf1234, you each get a freshly baked macaron straight from Cynthia's cafe!**

**WARNING: the following contains economics I learned from university. It is complicated to understand unless you have the mind for it, I don't even want to bother explaining it in writing. In short, economics "is the social science that studies the _choices_ that individuals, businesses, governments, and entire societies make as they cope with _scarcity_ and the _incentives_ that influence and reconcile those choices". (Parkin, Bade, "Microeconomics: Eighth Edition")**

**That is a lot of writing to describe economics in the short form.**

* * *

_**Chapter three: Love, Hate, and Economics**_

Around one to two weeks later, Steven Stone began to feel the pressure that Cynthia's Vue sur la Lune was giving him. What the rivalling business was doing was robbing Steven's regular customers to go to _her_ restaurant!

During the second week, James d'Arc reported to Steven's office with more bad news. It was at this time, of course, that Steven Stone had office hours.

"We've seen a huge drop of average revenue, lately," James said. "If this keeps up, we might have to lay off some of our staff. Profits are dangerously low, come to that, and our demand from the consumers has fallen drastically."

He handed Steven a file folder showing some economic information.

"At this rate, we're going to have to reduce the quantities from our supplier," James said. "Sorry, Steven, but these are the consequences. If our demand has dropped and quantity supplied has dropped… well, you know the rest."

Steven did know. Given the circumstances now, he would have to reduce the price of his goods and services. That would mean… less money for the business.

Sitting behind his desk, Steven buried his head into his arms on the desk. What was he going to do now save his business and employees? Obviously, his business wasn't being pushed to bankruptcy, but at the rate things were going, there wouldn't be enough money to pay all his workers… so Steven would have to lay off some workers.

"We'll have to talk to our suppliers sometime next week," he said. "James, make some arrangements with them so we could talk later."

A knock on his office door came, and James went to answer it for Steven.

"Hey, Steven," a receptionist happened to be at the door. "This just came by our front door. It's addressed to you."

"Thank you," Steven said. "Oh, and could you fetch me a coffee, please? I'm rather busy now."

"Of course, sir," the receptionist bowed, and placed a letter on the desk before leaving the room. "I'll go get someone to bring it to you."

Steven nodded as the receptionist left the office and Steven heard the familiar _click_ of the door shut. Now, at last he could have some privacy to open his letter. That is, he had to place the letter on top of a stack of other business letters too. The new letter, however, was a lot smaller compared to the massive business envelopes, however.

Steven could spend a little time to read a letter. Maybe it was a banking statement, or something. With his letter opener (a smooth, blunt, knife) he tore it open and pulled out the paper.

His jaw slightly dropped.

It was another invitation and voucher to Vue sur la Lune. What sort of madness was this? Given the current state of his business right now, Steven's cheeks went red with fury. Was Cynthia trying to assimilate Steven into _her _business so that he might go bankrupt eventually? Never!

Steven neatly folded the voucher and dropped it in the small trash bin where he normally discarded unwanted papers. What would Martine and James react to this?! Especially Martine.

"Hello, Steven!"

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Martine Grenadine was at the door of Steven's office.

"Martine!" What the – what are you doing here?" Steven asked. "Aren't you supposed to be working right now?" If his cheeks were red enough already from fury, they turned a deeper shade of red no thanks to his youngest employee.

She brushed her auburn hair so that the locks were behind her ear and dangling on her shoulder. "The receptionists told me to get your coffee, boss. I had a lot of free time, not unlike the others, so I thought… Wait a minute, boss! Why are your cheeks so red?"

_Don't push it…_ Steven begged in his mind. A 19-year old girl… Steven would sometimes wonder how he hired her in the first place.

Martine placed the ceramic cup of coffee in front of her boss and at the same time examined him closely. While uncomfortable, Steven kept his cool and held the cup to his lips.

"You must be thinking of a certain business rival," Martine said. She didn't need to guess. "Don't worry, boss! She's definitely one of the few _stunning_ people you will ever see in this world. You don't want to get struck out by her, right?!"

Steven choked, and then spit out a spray of coffee.

"Martine!" he scolded.

"I have to work," the 19-year old auburn-head left the office immediately.

Before she closed the office door, Marine could hear Steven shout, "Don't tell this to anyone, ever! I'm warning you!"

* * *

Within the next hour, Steven felt like throwing Martine out of the restaurant now. Although he had sternly warned Martine to keep quiet, somehow Martine's 19-year old behaviour was contagious and spread to the other waitresses like fire. Soon enough, curiosity got the best of everyone and the waitresses would have their share of teasing the employer's personal life. Could it get any worse?

At the very least he had gotten rid of the dreaded voucher from Cynthia. Now _that_ would have been the worst-case scenario.

Of course there was always the small minority of waitresses who sympathised with Steven. The waiters and James d'Arc, in the same way, weren't impressed by the lack of business they were getting, and they continued to back Steven.

Martine Grenadine wasn't surprised when she was summoned to Steven's office. She took her respective seat across from her employer. After ten minutes of discussion, with Steven doing most of the talking, Martine felt small.

"You've embarrassed me far enough, Ms. Grenadine," Steven's cheeks were pink with fury. He could feel a pulse beating in his temple.

Martine stared at the floor, but she kind of was pleased with herself, if not enjoying.

"Think of how much damage she's done to the business," Steven reminded her. "There is nothing – nothing, I tell you – that can explore the possibility of a relationship. You may think I may _like_ her, but you're sadly mistaken."

She looked up to examine Steven's eyes. Yep, his eyes were showing frustration, no doubt. Maybe Martine was wrong. Maybe it was only her imagination that led her to think a relationship between her boss and the competition was possible.

"I… think I'll go back to work," Martine got up and left the office.

"Good," Steven said. He opened a business file and read its contents (expenses). He read it as if he had dismissed Martine's presence in a matter of seconds. With a ballpoint pen, he began to write banking statements.

_Come to think of it, it _is_ payday today_, he thought. With his free hand, Steven picked up his telephone and dialled James' line.

"_Hello?_"

"Hi, James," Steven said. "It's about that time we write paycheques to everyone."

"_Yes, sir_," James said from the other line. "_We just got a little business spike, but it's cooling down now. I'll be at your office in half an hour, and by the way, I have an idea that might be able to save the company_."

That was news to Steven. Well, since James was a business graduate, he shouldn't have been surprised. "Alright, James, let's talk."

Within half an hour, as Steven re-read the depressing news of a loss in usual revenue and thinking of ideas of how to bring it up again, James d'Arc opened the door to the office and walked right in.

"Have a seat, James," Steven greeted.

His sous chef closed the door and sat down at Steven's desk with a laptop in hand. Steven passed James a load of paperwork and the two admins began to write paycheques together. With half the paycheques on his side, James wrote down the name of the employee, the date, and how much pay the specified employee got. After the name, numbers, and date were written, James signed his signature on the cheque and tore the cheque off the chequebook, and had it placed in a sealed envelope, and recorded his entries onto his laptop. In addition, labour records had to be printed in the office and attached with the paycheque before it was sealed in the envelope. Likewise, Steven was working away at his chequebook, writing numbers, dates, names, and his signatures, and recording what he did on his desktop computer, whilst printing off the labour records in his office.

They kept this process going for two hours, given the number of people who worked at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro (cooks, waiters, waitresses, janitors, managers, maintenance, bartenders, and the staff who operated the museum on the ground floor, and more than Steven could name). It was then Steven said, "Didn't you have an idea to bring up, James?"

"Yes, indeed," James said, not looking up from his chequebook. "More than once do I walk past Vue sur la Lune on my way to work, and I always see tens of people lining up at the café over there. That got me thinking, what if we were to make a counterattack?"

Steven stopped writing with this pen, and looked up.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked.

"The idea is that we open some smaller business within the establishment to counter that café," James suggested. "If they have a café, then why don't we open a bakery? That'll attract some loyal customers back here. I know we have plenty of excess profits, so we could make use of them before we use those to supply our paycheques."

Steven thought about that for a while, and the two of them resumed writing as he said, "I'll get back to you on that, James. In the meantime, when we've finished, go and see if you can find us a carpenter."

Before James went on writing paycheques, he made a side note to contact a known carpenter, as Steven instructed, as well as a reminder to come up with the budget to create a contract.

As he did this, he said, "How's our revenue going."

Steven sighed and passed James a sheet of paper. The latter glanced at it and sighed as well.

**(Author's Note and warning: below is based on university economics)**

**Average Weekly Economic Profit before the arrival of Vue sur la Lune**

**Revenue: 5,000,000 (weekly average: 700,000*7 days)**

**Explicit Cost (wages, taxes, etc.): -3,300,000**

**Depreciation: -5,000**

**i.e. Accounting Profit: 1,695,000**

**Implicit Cost: -450,000**

**i.e. Economic Profit: 1,245,000**

**Average Weekly Economic Profit after the arrival of Vue sur la Lune**

**Revenue: 4,000,000 (weekly average: 570,000*7 days)**

**Explicit Cost (wages, taxes, etc.): -3,300,000**

**Depreciation: -10,000**

**i.e. Accounting Profit: 690,000**

**Implicit Cost: -450,000**

**i.e. Economic Profit: 240,000**

"In short," James concluded, finally accepting the facts, "we have lost a lot of our usual profits. Practically to one-sixth. Sheesh… Steven, this isn't good."

Steven already knew this. Of course, if the revenue stayed like this for the next while, it would be barely sustainable, but he doubted it. This was only the first few weeks since Vue sur la Lune opened. There needed to be a way for Steven to increase his revenue! What was going on?

"They didn't give me top-class reviews for nothing," Steven grimaced. "Get that bakery built, up and running and see how well we'll do. Given we have an advantage in bread these days, we should make the most of it."

James added that as an extra footnote to his existing ones.

* * *

Hours later, Steven and James had finished with their office hours, finishing with the remainder of paycheques and stacked them inside a safe in the process, and returned to the main kitchen to begin cooking again, alongside James. As usual, the janitors would arrive to sweep and – should it be necessary – wash the office floor.

Metagross was pressed into service to help serve the food. Of course, Metagross did this completely voluntarily. Martine could only imagine what Team Plasma would've thought if they saw Metagross serving food.

"Hey, Martine!" a fellow waiter shouted. "You brought a cup of coffee to the boss' office, right? The janitors don't know what to do with it, so they're asking someone who does know."

_Oh, right_, she thought, and then said, "I'm on it!"

Since business was, as it had been for several days, slow, Martine handed the food she was carrying to a fellow waitress and hurried across the Stone Restaurant to find the door to Steven's office. Naturally, it would have been locked, but since there were janitors in there, or so she was told, there was access.

Martine's expectations were without disappointment. Several minutes after she got the call to head to the office, she was now standing at the very office's door with the janitors just finishing their cleaning duties. Knowing that Steven was in the kitchens, she walked in.

_Ah, there it is_, she thought. As Martine expected, there was the empty ceramic cup behind the head office desk. Quickly, she walked over to retrieve it, and she passed by the side of the desk with Steven's paper trash bin…

…effectively, she couldn't resist noticing the crumpled up paper with the familiar colours of Vue sur la Lune.

_Oh…?_ Martine thought. Brushing some bangs on her forehead, she used her free hand to reach for the crumpled paper and flattened it on the desk. Reading it, Martine smirked as she recognised it to be another voucher from the rival business. _Ha. Steven hopes to just dump another invitation from her? He must really hate her that much._

Nevertheless, Martine pocketed the voucher. There was a reason her boss wanted to trash it, and Martine suspected that her boss didn't want anyone to know about it.

* * *

That night, Steven received news that he didn't want to hear. At this point in time, anything to do with the auburn-haired Martine Grenadine was bad news to his personal life. Was Cynthia really his love life…? He shuddered and quickly dismissed the thought. Oh, the horror of what could happen to him or his business were that true.

That was exactly what Martine brought up when he met with her at the restaurant lobby.

"So, boss?" Martine asked. "Are you going?"

"What are you talking about, Martine?"

Knowing Steven wouldn't want this heard, even though she had spread the rumour around the restaurant anyway, Martine brought Steven to one of the quieter waiting lounges to talk about it. She sat down on one lounge chair, and he sat opposite.

"Alright…" Martine started, once again brushing an auburn lock behind her ear and let it dangle to her shoulder before reaching into her pocket and taking out the dark-blue voucher from Vue sur la Lune for Steven to see. Upon seeing it, Steven's eyes became very round.

Silence.

"Where'd you get that? In my office?! You couldn't have gone in there. Give it back!" Steven furiously reached for the paper, but Martine pushed him away.

"Why would you _want_ it back, boss?" she grinned… evilly. "I found this in your trash bin while I was collecting your coffee cup. If you're so keen on getting it back, then why did you throw it out in the first place?"

Steven then realised that his youngest employee, 19-years old, had outflanked him, and trapped him in his own words. No wonder some thought she'd be next to take over the restaurant were Steven to retire.

"Is it because of a _special someone_…?" she teased. Oh, how Martine loved to torture her boss when it came to a topic like this.

"No," Steven replied, not wanting to go any further. "It's just that if anyone knew about this, they'd think… they'd think I'll be in a relationship… and that I'll betray them. Come on, they'd know I went to Vue sur la Lune last week! Besides… I threw that thing out to show _her_ business isn't welcome around here!"

To his disbelief, Martine didn't seem convinced. Instead, she stood up wearing that same evil grin.

"Let me know when you're up for dinner," she said. "You know you want to head back there."

_We'll see about that_, Steven thought._ I will NOT be moved_.

* * *

Yet hours into the night, Martine Grenadine had dragged Steven Stone out of the restaurant, whilst telling James d'Arc to close the restaurant and keep the bistro running.

"Going on a date, Ms. Grenadine?" the same male receptionist from the previous week said. "Or is this something more about Mr. Stone? Let me guess: he's off to find the woman of his dreams… like you kindly told us."

"You got it!" Martine grinned. "We're off to find her."

The female receptionist said, "About time, Mr. Stone."

Perhaps this was enough to make Steven crack as he and Martine walked past the front doors.

"Why are we going to support the opposing business…?" he glared at the auburn-head. "Destroying revenue is enough, and that might turn into destroying the business. Besides, I'm not thinking of having a girlfriend anytime soon. If that's more than enough reason to hate her, then we shouldn't go."

They walked the short length from across the Stone Restaurant and Bistro to the competing Vue sur la Lune once more. For once, Steven actually noticed the café up and running near the restaurant corner, and unsurprisingly it was owned by the Vue sur la Lune restaurant itself. Was it a subsidiary?

Likely.

But Steven was still more concerned about Cynthia herself. She simply had to go, otherwise… that would be the end. The end of _his_ business.

"The more you hate her, the more you'll love her!" Martine teased. "This is an example of love-hate relationships! These kinds are rare, and they're classic! Come on, boss…"

"Argh! Martine!" Steven glared. "I'm _not_ in love with her! She's crippling the business! If this goes on, we won't be able to generate sufficient revenue. I'll have to close the restaurant and you won't get your paycheque. Isn't it obvious to hate a woman like her?!"

The 19-year old laughed, as she fixed her blouse and tie.

"I told you," Martine said, and completely disregarded the business talking. "If you hate her, you love her. It's a love-hate relationship, boss. There's no way around that."

She loved the reaction that appeared on her boss' face. How Steven would convince his youngest employee that it was a matter of business and not relationships was beyond him.

* * *

**Martine Grenadine did manage to drag her boss out of the restaurant after all...**

**Well, there goes the economics lesson!**

**More macarons up for grabs! Review and get some!**

**I also told my economics professor today (Nov 6) about this very fanfic I was writing, and she was impressed by the idea. She even asked if Steven and Cynthia would end up together!**

**According to Martine Grenadine, they must!**


	4. Vue sur la Lune

**I have a crisis. I want to work on Poketopia, but the story is too hard to write at this point. On the other hand, I could get this one uploaded instead.**

**Enjoy the meal!**

* * *

_**Chapter four: Vue sur la Lune**_

Martine Grenadine was dressed in her working uniform, a black blouse, black dress pants, and white tie, as she walked together with Steven Stone toward the familiar lobby of the restaurant. Marble and glass welcomed them when they went past the doors to the receptionists to hand in their voucher.

"It always seems busy here, doesn't it?" Martine said.

To Steven this was rhetoric. Vue sur la Lune was undoubtedly busy, and there were at least a hundred customers who showed up at the café too, with at least two hundred more walking up the stairs to take their seats.

Instead of replying, Steven decided to follow the waiter to their designated reserved table. As they travelled up the elevator, it came to Martine that they were going to sit at the fifth floor, which was basically the roof.

This meant, therefore, they were given a bonus to sit on the floor with the glass dome on top!

As Steven, dressed in his usual suit, sat across his 19-year old auburn-haired waitress he couldn't help but look out of the glass dome and watch the twinkling city lights below. Martine, though, had different ideas as soon as she was seated.

"It's a nice view, isn't it, boss?" she asked her boss.

Steven knew that, as of now, he had to treat every comment made by Martine with suspicion. Even now, an innocent question such as this wasn't to be trusted. Steven knew that this question would somehow have some tie to his hated rivalry with Cynthia. Maybe he should lie and say the view wasn't nice. Yet, that wasn't true. It was a nice view! How could this have anything to do with Cynthia?

Or maybe he was overthinking it! No! That was what Martine would want him to think. If he lied, then Martine would probably suspect him of being paranoid and that she would be proved right. Impossible. It was just a question. Just a question!

"Boss? Are you alright?" Martine piped, and Steven realised how close her face was to his. Martine seemed to be examining Steven like a scientist would with a specimen.

"Er… yeah, it is a nice view," Steven answered. There. He said it.

"Did you ever wonder why Cynthia would give you a quality seat like this?"

_Oh my gosh…_ Steven thought. He should have known the topic would have become something like this! Oh… why did Martine have to torture him like this?!

"I know," Steven said. "This is a plot by Cynthia to distract me from my business… That way, I won't work at the efficient rate and that'll mean losing customers to this restaurant."

"Or maybe it's because she loves you, just as you love her!" Martine piped. "Boss, you need to get your mind off business once in a while. It'll clear your head! Like I said, if you hate her, you'll love her in the end!"

Steven was about to say something but a waitress showed up to take their orders for food and drinks. He reserved the right to remain silent.

"What would you like, miss?"

"Sparkling water with a slice of lemon, please, and a pepper and cheese pâté," Martine ordered.

"And you, sir?"

"Er… a kale salad," Steven ordered. "With half a glass of red wine and a thin slice of orange peel."

Martine lifted her eyebrows at her boss' unusual choice of drink for the night. Was Steven going this far to enjoy what Vue sur la Lune had to offer? Or was it because he liked it? Or was it because he was playing for time?

Steven went on gazing at the nightscape for a while, while Martine enjoyed a glass of plain water. It felt like no time had passed when the waitress delivered their drinks to them (Martine sipped her sparkling water slowly while watching Steven's expression. For Steven, he resumed the swirling of his glass like before).

"You look lovesick, boss," Martine teased.

"I do not," Steven quickly said. Somehow, he felt like the air in his lungs was cut short while he tried to keep cool, and as a result he felt his breathing cut short a little, but he succeeded in controlling his reactions, although Martine noticed. Steven looked away.

Instead of speaking, Martine smiled and shook her head.

* * *

Meanwhile, James d'Arc was in the process of issuing paycheques to the employees of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. At Steven's office, James was doing paperwork and would, as usual, hand out the paycheque to whichever employee stopped by to pick it up.

Yet, these days, many of the waiters, waitresses, receptionists, janitors, maintenance workers, and other workers who showed up at the office to pick up their paycheque always asked James the same one of two questions.

"Where's Mr. Stone?"

Or…

"Is he finally off to get a girlfriend? Martine spoke a lot about it, so…"

Somehow, James found it very wrong to speak on Steven's behalf. What could he say? Nothing much. Instead, James would quietly throw in his own quick opinion before handing out the paycheque. Even James alone was unsure _who_ Steven was looking for as a girlfriend. Of all people, Martine wouldn't have been surprising, but James was certain it was someone else.

_I wonder if it could be Cynthia too…_ he thought, while half-heartedly handing a paycheque to a janitor who showed up at the office.

"Could Martine possibly be his girlfriend?" James failed to notice until now that it was the pretty female receptionist who asked this. "That night they went for dinner… hmm? Is it possible?"

"Er…" James mumbled, while thinking about an answer and handing the respective paycheque at the same time. "I wouldn't count on it. Steven doesn't have an eye for hyped girls like Martine. Have you seen how Martine has been treating him these days?"

The receptionist's face fell at the loss of a prospect for her employer.

"That doesn't mean that he's given up," James added. "But whoever it is, or will be, it's definitely not Martine."

* * *

The young auburn-haired woman who James was exactly talking about was enjoying herself yet again. She happily enjoyed her pâté dinner while her boss (Steven) continued to frequently swirl his glass of red wine. The slice of orange peel danced in circles as Steven did this, and Steven would occasionally take small sips of the drink.

"Still hate her?" Martine said. She decided it was time to start a conversation.

"Yeah," Steven answered shortly. "Why am I even here?"

There had been no more conversation after that. Yet Martine was more than happy to watch any slight expression her boss showed on his face. If Cynthia was _the one_… she had to confirm it. Sure, Martine might have seen it before, but that was no excuse to not be sure, right?

Dusk was evident over the skies of Cyllage City, as everyone could clearly see the skies turn from a pinkish-orange into a deep ocean-blue. Naturally, the coastal wind and the evening coolness would have made indoors a treat. Inside Vue sur la Lune's rooftop glass dome, this was exactly that. Heat gushed from candles and heaters filled the atmosphere of the restaurant.

"Enjoying your dinner, boss?" Martine asked, and hoped a better conversation would follow. Even as she said this, she put a nibble of pepper and cheese pâté in her mouth again. Just the tiniest nibble of pâté… and it was delicious. Not that she had anything against Steven!

"The salad's okay," Steven said. "I would have personally preferred adding a little balsamic vinegar to it and maybe some Razz Berries to it too."

Martine was about to speak back when her phone rang out. She quickly answered the call before Steven even had a chance to ask who called. Judging from the conversation and the voice tone Martine was using, Steven supposed that it was from his restaurant.

Indeed it was, and Martine hung up.

"James says someone wants to arrange a wedding banquet at the Stone," Martine explained. "When we're done here, we have to head back to prepare. But hey, look at the bright side, boss! At least your restaurant isn't really heading straight for the dump."

She ate more of her pâté and munched on a piece of bread with it. Steven stuck to tasting his wine, but it looked a lot like he was going to pack up.

"You seriously aren't leaving now?" Martine asked. "We haven't even got to the main event!"

Steven shook his head. He didn't reply at first, but he sipped a bit of wine instead, before saying, "What main event? If you're talking about Cynthia, then… no, you're mistaken, Martine."

Martine rolled her eyes, but her conversation with her boss was broken by the sound of mutters and murmurs from the other patrons. She, and Steven, glanced over to see the familiar gathering of restaurant staff and Cynthia.

"Everyone, please welcome the owner of the establishment, high-end chocolatier, and expert pastry maker, Cynthia!" a waitress announced. Yep, Cynthia was there, dressed in the black clothes she was known for. The waitress continued, "She would like to share a toast with you customers, and then you'll get to experience what makes Vue sur la Lune so special!"

Martine fixed her attention right on Steven's face. If her intuition was dead on, Steven would be staring off at Cynthia any given moment. Instead, she was met with a bored Steven Stone who held his glass in front of him, always swishing whatever was left in the glass with that slice of orange peel.

_Come on…_ Martine thought.

Still, she could see his eyes becoming wider, like he was trapped in his thoughts. This led Martine to believe that Steven was going crazy… she liked that. Or maybe, Steven was just about to crack. It looked like he tried to _not_ look at Cynthia.

To Martine's shock, Steven downed the entire glass of wine, drinking it down without stopping.

"Come on, boss, don't you think you might have pushed it?" Martine asked, concerned. She could see Steven's face becoming red, and surely not because he was blushing, but because he had consumed a glass of wine straight.

"I'm…" Steven yawned. "I'm fine."

But really, Steven's thoughts were very different. _MUAHAHAHA! I have you now, Martine! No way can you trap me thinking I love Cynthia at all, because I don't! At least this should distract you. You can't talk now, eh?_

"Here, boss," Martine passed her sparkling water to him. "Drink some of this. It'll clear your head a bit. You shouldn't drink wine that quickly, you know!"

She picked up her fork again to taste a little more pâté, and watched Steven reluctantly drink the sparkling water. Martine had to admit, Cynthia had good taste in food, but would it ever compare to Steven's? She would never know.

Speaking of which, the woman who had been in Martine's thoughts so briefly had showed up behind Steven.

"Hello," Cynthia greeted. In light of saying this right behind Steven, the latter choked on his water. Steven, as a result, put down the glass, coughed into his elbow, and caught his breath, before fearfully and shakily turned to look back to see… yes. _Her_. Cynthia.

Martine could only laugh. Between wanting to yell at Martine and not embarrassing himself before Cynthia, Steven stared at Cynthia instead. His cheeks were red, and Martine couldn't tell if it was either Steven was blushing or he had too much wine.

"I didn't think you would want to come tonight," Cynthia said in a cool voice.

"You're right," Steven replied. "It's not like I had a choice –"

"What he means is that he likes your restaurant," Martine cut in. "Of course Steven didn't have a choice to come here. He likes your restaurant too much, so he had no choice but come here to enjoy your food! For all we know, he may like you as well."

Steven, never mind Cynthia standing behind him, shot Martine a death glare.

Cynthia giggled, and it escalated to a tiny smirk. "Aw, I'm flattered. Well, he'll expect more vouchers soon. I'm glad you two could come tonight. So… hey, Steven, you haven't talked much. What do you have to say?"

Steven couldn't come up with any words at first, but finally said, "How's business?"

Now it was Martine's turn to glare at her boss. _Are you serious, boss?! The first thing you could bring up to start a conversation, and you talk about business. Way to go, boss. That's sure to capture her heart_, she thought.

"It's going pretty well, actually," Cynthia said. "I've heard from others that they'll be attending my restaurant a lot more regularly nowadays. Business isn't bad. I've had lots of profits coming in already. Even at the end of the second week since opening, the profits I've had were three times more than I expected."

"Hmm…" Steven muttered.

Cynthia then noticed how red Steven's cheeks were. She gasped, "Steven, how much have you had to drink?"

"He's only had one glass of red wine," Martine answered. "He probably wanted to toast with you, but as you can see, Steven is a very busy man. He wants to sleep early, but I'm sure he would have loved to have talked with you."

"That's a shame," Cynthia said, but held an amused smile. "He's missing out on the show. Come to think of it, I've never caught your name."

"Martine," Martine introduced herself, whilst shaking Cynthia's hand. Oh, if only Steven could see this now… Wait, he _was_ sitting in before them, but he was sleeping! Would that count? Maybe he had too much wine. Marine sometimes thought Steven was a man of good taste (literally!), and yet could submit to unconsciousness by alcohol. It was only wine. He didn't drink a lot of it, but one glass in one shot was enough!

Steven certainly looked like he was sleeping!

"I guess I won't get in your way, then," Cynthia added. "Just wait 'til you see the show! I'll even put cheesecakes on the line just for Steven here. If he wakes up, then let him know that a freshly chilled cheesecake is waiting for him."

Martine nodded happily. "That would be nice."

Cynthia, the former Sinnoh champion, smiled at the positive reaction from this girl. Perhaps her taste in desserts was good, indeed. She then left for the kitchen afterward, as she had to prepare for some tasty desserts.

On the other hand, Martine looked at her boss questionably. How could her boss miss out on an opportunity to talk to Cynthia like this? It wasn't like he was trying to avoid a conversation with his (Martine supposed) love, or was he?

"Is she gone?" she heard a mumbled voice.

Martine glared – hard.

"How could you," Martine's voice became menacing such that Steven had to force his eyes open to look at her. "You missed out a chance to talk to Cynthia. Of all the times you could talk, you just _had_ to drink all your wine and refuse a toast with her? That's low, boss."

"Let's assume that I'm sending a message that I don't want to be welcome here," Steven said, as he justified himself. "That means less vouchers and I can finally focus on operating the business, with no hope of any distraction –"

"Aha! So you admit you can't focus with _her_ on you mind!" Martine jumped in

"What? No! That's not what I meant at all!"

"It's fine if you really don't _want_ to say it to me," Martine grinned. She was clearly enjoying this ongoing torment. "You can say it to her instead. After all, she is the only one who has the likes of you."

Before Steven could unleash his irritated fury, he was interrupted by a restaurant waitress who placed two plates each with a slice of tasty-looking white cheesecake at their table, each piece drizzled with sauce made from the Custap Berry (Steven could smell this, even though the berry itself was extremely rare).

"This cheesecake served to you, courtesy of the chef," the waitress announced.

"There's no need for dessert," Steven refused. "I've had enough of dinner."

"Don't play jokes with me, sir," the waitress shook her head. "I know exactly what I served to you tonight and I know you haven't had a sufficient meal! All you've done tonight was swirling your glass of wine for no reason and that's that."

She left Steven in that state and took his empty glass away, which earned fits of laughter from Martine.

"Ooh… you just got slammed!" Martine tried to say, whilst having her throat caught between hiccups and laughter. "And we wonder why Cynthia is acting so nice to you by giving you a cheesecake of her choice. Is she flirting with you?"

Steven digressed. Instead he reached for the cheesecake with his hand. But Martine beat him to it and put both plates in front of her.

"I thought you didn't want dessert?" Martine asked, right as she picked up her dessert fork and ate the first bite of her cheesecake. A snap idea popped in her head right after. "Ooh! Does that mean that you accept Cynthia's way of flirting with you?"

"Martine, you don't have any grounds that she is flirting with me!" Steven raised his voice, such that some customers looked at Steven curiously. "She's a business rival. Hasn't that been clear? We're talking about the market, here."

Muttering from the customers drew Steven's attention.

"_Isn't that Steven Stone?_"

"_That handsome man is from the Stone Restaurant, isn't he?_"

"_He looks familiar… Oh wait, that's the owner of the restaurant across._"

"_Why would someone come to the opposing restaurant, anyway?_"

"_He seems to be enjoying his time here._"

"_A man has to take time off from work, anyhow._"

"_He comes to the new restaurant within weeks of opening… he must really like it._"

"_Where's my camera?_"

"_It's probably because he likes the food, or the business owner._"

FLASH

A camera flash enveloped the room for a split-second.

_NOOOOOOOO!_ Steven thought. It was now apparent that there was no way the world couldn't know he had been to Vue sur la Lune now! Why, cruel world?! If publicity got out, which Steven had no doubt would, that might send his business to a plummet.

Steven got up.

"I have to go," he said abruptly to Martine. "You can finish my dessert for me."

_Aw,_ Martine thought. _I'm supposed to say that!_

He had to get out as quickly as possible. The less people were aware of his presence in the competing restaurant, the better. He quickly walked away to the elevator's direction, right as people stared at him as he passed.

Alas…

Steven Stone did not realise it, but his arm was seized on the way.

"You're going to miss out on the show," the cool female voice of Cynthia's whispered into his ear. "You could always help me out, if you like."

FLASH

Another camera flash.

Steven darted his eyes to see the platinum-blond hair of his business rival beside him, and he realised that it was _her_ hand that was grasping onto his arm, like he was a force going forward and she was the greater force keeping him back.

FLASH

He had no idea he had passed his business rival in the first place! Now, that same rival was in his way! She had no idea what was going on or what conversations were being held right under her nose, but what she did know was that Steven wanted out.

"If you don't want to see the show in public, then I'll show you in private. How's that?" Cynthia offered, and Steven could finally see her face.

"I've got work to do," Steven lied. "I just remembered."

FLASH

_Great… more publicity_, Steven thought. How was he supposed to get out of this predicament? Well, he had two options: the first was to follow Cynthia out, and the second was to make a break for the door. Either way, it was not good. He would be getting cameras on him for the next while. Would it be better if he broke for the door now? Impossible. Cynthia had a firm grip on his arm, and being the gentleman he was he could not break. Never mind the firm grip.

FLASH

Martine Grenadine, unbeknownst to very much everyone inside the glass dome of Vue sur la Lune, laughed so hard that she had to burrow her head in her arms on the table. How could it get any better than this? Steven looked embarrassed and stunned at the same time.

FLASH

"Can we… go now?" Steven quietly asked his rival.

"We? So you do want to come," Cynthia tugged Steven away from the floor while the cameras kept flashing away (yes, there was more than one camera!). Those who had the cameras stood up to follow, but were blocked off by Cynthia's waiters. Steven remained silent for a while.

* * *

Outside the glass dome, Steven was not expecting to be standing outside with Cynthia. Just himself… and her. Madness! What was he doing here? Having a glass of wine with his business rival was the last thing on his mind right now, especially when he had a business to manage. Besides, there was a wedding banquet that needed arranging when he got back to the Stone. Wasn't he wasting time now?

Indeed, he had a glass of wine in his hands now. He refused to touch it, though.

"You alright there, Steven?" Cynthia's voice broke the silence.

"Uh… fine," Steven said. "But I thought it'd be best if I left early now. I mean I have several plans I need to do when I get back to my office. I need to get to them right now."

"I'm sure they could wait," Cynthia smiled coolly, while bringing her wine to her lips. "I hear that you left your cheesecake untouched. Shall I get someone to bring it to you?"

Before Steven could even answer, Cynthia raised her hand toward a nearby waitress and snapped her fingers. Taking this as a cue, the waitress walked back into the glass dome. Now that they were alone, Steven took this as an opportunity to talk, although he wished the opportunity could have taken place at a better place.

"Cynthia," he said, without looking directly at her. "Why do you keep giving me vouchers?"

To his surprise, Cynthia's response was fluent. "I thought it would be a good idea for you, the competition, to see what my restaurant is like. But enough about my restaurant, as I'm sure you've seen enough of it already. The question becomes… why don't you invite me?"

Steven remained silent for a while, but Cynthia smiled all the same. Was it because if he invited her over, she would use the opportunity to take advantage of his ideas? His profit-maximising output was cut, and Steven wasn't going to take any chances.

The waitress brought Steven's slice of cheesecake to the balcony and quietly set it before him. As a gesture of politeness, Steven took bites of the cheesecake as he immersed himself in the mind of business. Yet, his mind was distracted by the delicious cheesecake, as Martine had so frequently told him.

"That's okay. You don't have to answer," she said whilst breaking Steven's thoughts. "You could always head back in to see the show now. I'm sure no one would notice."

Steven remained silent as he went back inside, and left half of the cheesecake uneaten.

* * *

To his relief, the customers who had initially stared at him in the first place, let alone the cameras flashing, had stopped and they went back to their meals and drinks. The former Hoenn champion, Steven, swiftly went back to his table.

Martine had her glass of sparkling water refilled.

"Well…?" she eyed her boss curiously. "Did you two have a heart-to-heart yet?"

"I had trouble finding it," Steven replied without looking at Martine's eyes. "And no, Martine, that doesn't mean that I have any feelings for her. Got it?"

Martine shrugged.

Steven's uncomfortable conversation was thankfully brought to an abrupt halt by the indistinct murmur from the customers. He turned his head to see that Cytnhia, along with her team of waiters and waitresses, had appeared before

"Tonight is special," Cynthia said. "I will almost always make an exclusive appearance here once a week, at least, under the glass dome on Vue sur la Lune's top level, and no other floor, unlike most days."

"As you all know, if you're Kalosian, Vue sur la Lune is what we would literally interpret as 'view of the moon', or moonview," Cynthia explained. "Indeed, that is exactly what this restaurant specialises in. At Vue sur la Lune here, we offer comprehensive dining service, but in addition we offer you an exclusive view of the moon above your heads as you eat!"

The lights in the dome dimmed. Sparks shot up from the edges of the glass dome's metal frame to the top of the dome, which literally forced everyone to look up to see that as the sparks faded, the Kalos moonlight shined upon the dome.

Were the glass walls amplified somehow?

The way the moonlight refracted off the glass walls was such that the light was focused and concentrated on certain areas of the glass dome. Such that they looked like stars in the sky, but up close, and not bright enough that it would burn peoples' eyes. The moon itself still shined brilliantly directly above the restaurant.

"This. Is. Awesome," Martine said with a dropped jaw. "Wow…"

Steven reserved the right to remain silent. He was oblivious to the fact that a waitress had brought back his slice of half-eaten cheesecake underneath his nose. Even so, despite that, he absentmindedly took bites of the cheesecake and watched the moonlight sparkle. He hated to admit it, but the visual sight complimented the Custap Berry drizzle in his mouth.

* * *

**The macarons I offered in exchange for a review are now stale. (cries*). No matter, Cynthia will just have to throw them out then. Still, I'm giving away not one, but two slices of cheesecake with Custap Berry drizzle for anyone who reviews!**


	5. Apples and Oranges

**Here's a chapter I enjoyed writing! I may be a university student, but I continue to write this chapter because the economics in it makes it relevant to my studies, which gives me incentive (incentive, get it? It's economics again).**

**TheGhostShadow and werehogdog, you each get two slices of cheesecake with Custap Berry drizzle! Straight from Cynthia's restaurant! Enjoy!**

**This chapter is guaranteed to bring a smile to some.**

* * *

_**Chapter five: Apples and Oranges**_

"Mr. Stone wants to see you in his office, Martine," one of Martine's fellow waitresses at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro said, during the morning hours of the restaurant. "He doesn't seem too pleased at all today."

"I'll be right there," Martine replied.

The day after Steven Stone and his youngest employee went for dinner at Vue sur la Lune, Martine Grenadine was in the middle of arranging a series of tables for a wedding reception to be held that night. She wasn't alone. There were numbers of other staff who were preparing for the event too.

Given the wedding reception, the entire third floor of the restaurant was rented out exclusively to the wedding couple, alongside payment for the food. According to James, who was spearheading this arrangement, the wedding couple and all the guests were due to arrive in the afternoon – which was an estimated seating of two-hundred guests. It was morning, so this meant James and the others had to prepare at least two-hundred servings of five-course meals. Fortunately, they had a week's notice before this happened, and a day to know when they arrived.

In effect, the whole third floor was empty, and the only sounds that could be heard were coming from the kitchens, even though the kitchens were far away.

Martine quickly went over to the door of Steven's office and knocked.

"Come in," she heard him say, so Martine went straight in.

Steven Stone sat behind his desk looking appalled. Martine, at first, looked as if she was concerned for him, but that almost immediately changed when she understood why he was so appalled. Indeed, she came close to laughing but kept her mouth shut.

There were magazines and the regional newspaper spread out on the desk.

"You…" Steven growled, his voice on the brink of fury. "You did this!"

"What?" Martine casually asked, as if to hide her innocence.

"You did _this…_" Steven's voice became threatening. He held up one of the magazines up for Martine to see. Lo and behold, it was a popular Kalos magazine. Key word: popular.

On the front cover showed – lo and behold again – Martine's boss having his arm grasped by Cynthia as he tried to leave Vue sur la Lune. But it wasn't just Kalos' popular magazine Steven was holding up. There were more magazines in his hands!

A suspicious smile curled at the edge of Martine's lips.

The popular magazine headline read, '**Apples and Oranges: Substitutes? Or Compliments?**'

Was this bad press? The other magazines had similar headlines with regards to Steven and Cynthia, and Martine was extremely thankful that she didn't get into the picture – well, except for the one where Steven had first caused the commotion. (That magazine title read: 'Owner Trades Business In Favour of Love').

Martine snuck glances at the papers on Steven's table, but she could feel Steven's stare caving into her head. Steven. Cynthia. Steven. Cynthia. Yes, that was exactly all there was on each front cover, be it magazine or newspaper.

"I like how they compared you and Cynthia to apples and oranges," Martine lightly said. "It's like they're saying you and her aren't made for each other, and yet… there's a chance."

"This has gone far enough," Steven evenly, though with some effort to restrain his anger. "It ends here! You know perfectly well that what you've done has impacted the business! It looks as if I'm submitting to the competition…

"But don't you think you're being a little selfish, _Mr. Stone_?" Martine whispered. "It's not good to have a monopoly, you know. I thought you were a more classy man than that! People look to you as a classy gentleman and a respected former Champion, you know."

Martine raised her voice to a normal tone.

"Besides, you should be really, really, happy that they chose apples and oranges," she added. "It literally means you and Cynthia are incomparable. But you could be complimentary to each other too…"

Steven paused.

"No!" he denied. "It's not like that! It's just that… that… Argh! Never mind! Never mind! Let's get to what's important here. Martine Grenadine: if you do not stop with this behaviour of yours, I'm going to dock your pay. I mean it! 25% of your paycheque into the pockets of other staff should be enough to keep you quiet, eh?"

Martine stared back in response. "That's injustice and you know it!"

"But at least it's justified by the employee abusing the employer…" Now it was Steven's turn to smile. "Just behave and nothing bad will happen."

Martine looked as if she almost wanted to cry, but a thought struck her that this must be some pretext for Steven to eliminate her attitude. Well it was, wasn't it? Still, Martine agreed that her boss had suffered long enough with all the magazine gossip. She supposed she would have to strike again at a more convenient time.

"Oh, alright," Martine muttered, but at the same time tried to suppress a smirk. "Besides, you're getting off-topic here, boss. Don't steer away from apples and oranges! Didn't you just deny that you and Cynthia aren't substitutes, but compliments?"

Steven, ignoring her, got out a pen and chequebook and started to write on it. By then, Martine kept quiet when Steven, annoyed, handed her a paycheque with an explicit description of a deduction of 25% of money.

Afterwards, Martine left Steven in his office, and she had no idea whether he wanted to stay locked in there as a result of public embarrassment.

* * *

It went from bad to worse when Steven walked out of his office. Apparently and there was no need to explain it, it seemed every staff worker at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro had seen the article from the popular Kalos magazine. Apples and oranges, hmm…

"You handling okay there, boss?" a waitress asked. "Any love troubles?"

"No!" Steven harshly replied.

The waitress gave Steven a look as if he had seriously harmed her, but Steven wasn't deterred. Yet, the waitress could see Steven's ears, let alone his cheeks, had turned pink.

"I'll be sure to send you a nice fruit basket," she said before she went on doing her part for the upcoming wedding reception. "Oran berries, Custap berries, apples, and oranges. The lot."

It took a moment before Steven realised what she meant, and by then that waitress was busy working with the others setting up the tables.

"No! No!" Steven shouted. "I don't need one!"

Exasperated, and feeling very uncomfortable, Steven took a nearby seat and buried his head in his arms on the table. He felt like the world was watching him and trying to crush him wherever it saw fit. Did Steven really have any feelings for Cynthia? He didn't dare answer it.

The sound of the usual _clink_ of a plate placed on a table shuddered in front of him. Steven tiredly looked up to see a mug of steaming tea in front of him, with James d'Arc taking the seat opposite Steven.

"Thank you," Steven muttered.

"It's that bad, huh?" James had a slice of Razz Berry cake in front of him and took small bites out of it. "Don't worry, Steven. I've read the magazine too."

Upon hearing this, Steven's cheeks turned pink again, and he buried his face into his arms once more, and refused to touch his tea. This prompted James to smirk, and pushed the tea a little closer towards Steven.

(**Light warning: the following contains economics**)

"Well, if you don't want to talk about your possible love life, then how about we talk business instead?" James offered, where he got a half-irritated, half-interested, face from Steven. "You'll be pleased to know we've got a contractor to build that bakery we talked about. A few expert carpenters from Lumiose City are making their way here."

James was relieved to see Steven finally getting his act together.

"Well, at least that's a start," Steven muttered, and picked up his tea. "Let's hope it'll have an impact. This action will add onto our costs too."

James said, right after biting another piece of Razz Berry cake, "Our performance output will likely increase too. We'll need to consider the prices, given demand and supply for the bakery, but we'll be adding a number of jobs to Kalos. At least that's something!"

Steven closed his eyes and imagined how this bakery initiative could impact the business. Yes… Cynthia had a café and pastries, but no bread. Perhaps this bakery idea was the best solution. But in order to live up to the restaurant's name, hence its regional fame, there had to be some stone element.

"Stone-baked bread?" Steven suggested. "How does that sound to you, James?"

"You're the boss," James said without looking up, but focused on eating his cake. "But if I were you, Steven, I'd focus on the reception. They'll be here this afternoon. Remember? Oh, and don't worry if anyone around here thinks you're betraying the business. They all know you're a great employer. In the short-run, labour will increase and so will the labour cost will rise."

Steven, scoffing, raised a hand for James' silence, and then asked, "What is the demand for a bakery around here, in Cyllage City?"

James nodded. "There is a high demand for a bakery here in a resort city such as Cyllage. As most of the bread supply comes from Lumiose City, it would only be logical to open a local bakery to satisfy the community's upkeep. There is no need to worry if this ends up being a sunk cost, because there will not be a sunk cost. So while labour and costs will rise in the short-run, the long-run effect will almost certainly be profitable."

"And besides," James continued, whilst eating the remainder of his cake. "In case you do somehow have to leave the restaurant for good, you can count on me or Martine. Right?"

Steven put down his cup of tea.

"Thanks, James," Steven said, feeling better.

About half an hour later, Steven and James got up to head to the kitchen to begin preparations. Under normal circumstances, to have a wedding reception prepared with this relatively little time would be a feat, but fortunately, Steven was considered to be the best chef around these parts and could easily prepare a reception with the time he had.

Or so he thought, until Vue sur la Lune opened. Now, Steven became less sure.

* * *

Directly across the three-storey high Stone Restaurant and Bistro, a road width away, the four-storey high (plus the fifth level, the roof) Vue sur la Lune was going about business as usual, although business seemed to have slowed.

That gave the staff ample time to look at the popular Kalos magazine that had been circulating and in the know for the past day. In almost any area in the restaurant where one of Vue sur la Lune's employees was, there was bound to be a copy of the magazine being read. This could potentially ruin the image of Cynthia's restaurant, unfortunately.

But as far as _anyone_ was concerned, the customers were reading the same magazine too.

For Cynthia, former Sinnoh champion, she was sitting at one of the tables with fresh fruit and berries with a cup of hot water. On the table in front of her lay a copy of the Kalos magazine, with the bright red and orange letters reading "**Apples and Oranges: Substitutes? Or Compliments?**"

"And _that_, my friend, is a good question. Do apples and oranges belong together? Or do they not?" a voice said beside Cynthia.

Cynthia looked up. One of her waitresses had an ice cream cone in her hands.

"Your ice cream, boss," she said. "Say, everyone around here's been speculating…"

"Oh, that? It's nothing serious," Cynthia said, as she took her vanilla ice cream and began to consume it. "What bothers me is why the public takes it so seriously."

The waitress raised her eyebrows, and coughed. "Well… for a handsome guy like him, and for one who had so much fame back in his Champion days, it's no surprise some gossip would like to poke fun at him, especially now that you're around…"

Cynthia shrugged. It was no surprise, indeed. After all, she operated the restaurant as a means of maintaining luxury-class dining in a resort town such as this. What Cynthia hadn't counted on was that the rivalling business happened to be directly across from her. Well, food and dining services was a competitive market.

"Could you ever compare apples and oranges?" Cynthia asked her waitress. "You can't. The point is that no one can ever compare apples and oranges. They're too different to suit each other."

To Cynthia's surprise, the waitress said, "Hey. That's clearly wrong! You're wrong in saying you can't compare apples and oranges, because you just compared them and declared them different. Besides, it's the differences that make them suited to each other! An apple isn't an orange and vice versa, but they could be complementary to each other because of their differences."

Cynthia blinked. Was her waitress speculating a relationship between her and Steven?

"Speaking of apples and oranges, I have a craving for an apple," the waitress said, as Cynthia silently ate her ice cream. Out of nowhere, the waitress whipped out an apple and dug a large bite into the hard shell of the apple.

Cynthia brushed her platinum-locks behind her ear and finished her ice cream. She couldn't help, though, that the apple was something of an irritant.

* * *

Now she was standing inside the Vue sur la Lune subsidiary – that is, the café – as it was time for work. Truthfully speaking, the café was pretty popular among the citizens of Cyllage City. It provided coffee, tarts, cakes, and pastries for those people and Pokémon just starting out their day. The café hadn't opened yet, but it would soon. It was time for work.

Cynthia tossed out her Poké Ball holding her Garchomp. The Pokémon burst out and looked at Cynthia with anticipation.

"We better get things ready," Cynthia said. Garchomp nodded in agreement. Separately, the workers operating the café were also doing their part. Some were turning on lights and opening the blinds, some were beginning to bake fresh cakes and chilled desserts, some were wiping the tables inside and outside, and some were preparing to make freshly grinded coffee.

It didn't take long before Garchomp and Cynthia were working together on a broad range of Poké Puffs and Poffins. In the interest of keeping the café on the ground level running, a lot of fresh pastries had to be prepared. In Cynthia's opinion, never mind the public, her desserts were the best.

Still, as Cynthia worked, she couldn't help but think back to the article in the popular magazine. That photo of her and Steven on the magazine cover was… cute.

"Hey! Watch it, boss!" a staff worker warned.

Cynthia became instantly aware that she had almost spilled a tray of uncooked orange tarts onto the floor, if not for the fast-acting catch of Garchomp. Garchomp held the tray of orange tarts firmly, although appeared concerned for Cynthia.

"_Gar…_" Garchomp shook her head.

Cynthia sighed, but turned on the oven and set it to the temperature the way she liked it. Once the oven was piping hot, Garchomp opened the oven door and placed the tray of orange tarts in there. The smell of baking orange filled the air.

"I'm fine," Cynthia said. She started about making a number of cheesecakes and Berry cakes. It just so happened that she had a surplus of Custap Berry sauce, so she made use of it to glaze some of the cheesecakes.

Apart from the ringing of timers from the oven and the smell of fresh orange tarts, there was also the sound of grinding coffee beans. Elsewhere, the café staff were busy boiling hot water and prepared many, many, servings of fresh coffee. One staff worker even went outside to retrieve several copies of the daily newspaper.

It just so happened that each newspaper – five in all – had a copy of the popular Kalos magazine attached. Printed clearly, and boldly, was the title 'Apples and Oranges'.

Meanwhile, Garchomp determined the tarts were ready and removed the tray from the oven, so as to place each tart on display after washing her hands. Orange tarts…

To the people of Cyllage City who weren't aware of the 'Apples and Oranges' thing, they certainly had their fill-up of the news by the time they went inside Cynthia's café. People who frequented the newspaper got a taste of the news when they saw the magazine cover, and curiosity got the better of them when they read it.

Even for people who didn't frequent the newspaper had their curiosity provoked when they saw the magazine title, and asked for the people who did read the paper to pass them the magazine. It didn't take long for them to realise that the magazine subject happened to be standing just a few paces away from them.

"Hey! Hey! Is this true?!" one customer shouted to Cynthia, whilst holding up the magazine.

Cynthia diverted her attention from the cake she was making and looked at the customer. After analysing the magazine for a brief second, a tinge of nervousness shuddered in her voice, "I'm not – I'm not too sure myself. Do you think I look like an orange?"

The customer laughed. "Everyone knows you're a sweet lady, hence your classy desserts. One would think you'd either be the perfect match or the perfect rival of the Stone Bistro across the street. Speaking of which, I would like one of those orange tarts."

Another of the café staff served the orange tart to the customer. On the other hand, Cynthia felt somewhat awkward, and proceeded to continue her cake work in the back room. Garchomp was more or less indifferent, but focused on making more orange tarts.

"Hey, Cynthia! We've got a special order coming in!" an employee said while rushing past the café doors with a slip of paper. "It has to be ready in the next two hours! It's an express delivery!"

Cynthia immediately took the paper to take a careful look at the description and request. Cream, peaches, and apples were part of it. But it wasn't just because of the fruit described that made it difficult, but the sheer number of it that had to be made, let alone the design.

"Okay, assemble the cake-maker staff on the double!" Cynthia said to the worker who handed her the paper. "If I had more time, we could get this done pretty well, but two hours will not wait. We need time to gather and bake, and this order is… ridiculous."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll get them straight away," the worker took off.

* * *

That afternoon, at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro (or, as the locals liked to call it, the Stone Bistro), the wedding couple and associated family were first to arrive. Upon entering, they were personally greeted by James, who welcomed them in.

"I can see you've got it all worked out," the groom complimented. "I'm impressed. You'll sure to be expecting many guests tonight. Apart from dinner, have you got the photo shootings, flowers, and music prepared?"

James smiled warmly. "It's all been arranged. I've taken the liberty of asking Mr. Stone to set a dance floor for you and your bride, needless to say a miniature orchestra. On that note, congratulations."

The groom smiled at his bride, before returning the thanks to James. Upon walking in, the groom was welcomed by the chandelier hanging above in the lobby at first, followed by metal staircases and two receptionists – a handsome male and a pretty female – at the front desk.

"Shall I show you to your floor?" James offered.

The wedding couple were happy to oblige. They followed James up the elevator to the third and top floor, where they were met with a vast layout of arranged tables, each with a snow-white tablecloth and fresh flowers, set for two hundred guests.

To the wedding couple, they were astonished.

"This is amazing," the groom said.

By what the groom meant, there was both a bottle of champagne and a bottle of sparkling lime water at every table. Wine glasses were already set up and arranged, along with a candle box each emitting a different colour at each table. The candle boxes had yet to be lighted.

Not only that, but being the renowned first-class restaurant it was always known for, the staff at the Stone Bistro had taken the liberty of moving a grand piano near a window seat. The instrument blended with the scenic view from behind perfectly.

"Mr. Stone would say it's his pleasure," James smiled. "The musicians will have their seating near the dance floor, and we've set a special spot where you can have a photo shoot when it's sunset. Sunset will probably last for an hour tonight, so we've arranged that particular schedule to have a _really_ tight timeframe."

"Much appreciated," the groom said. He proceeded to look around the area to familiarise with the surroundings.

For James, it was all in a day's work. However, he knew that at this very moment Steven and the other chefs were creating hundreds and hundreds of dishes in preparation for the imminent dinner. At the ground floor behind the lobby, James could predict they were having their work cut out, because the dinner setting stipulated that each dinner guest had a full serving of the Stone Accolade. On their part, they had to prepare the food, but cook it when the guests had arrived. This way, the food could be served fresh.

"You hired a pianist as well?" James asked the groom.

"Yes," he said, "she'll probably be the first to arrive, never mind my family. She's been practising – ah, there she is now."

James looked to see a well-dressed woman unload her bag at the grand piano and placed a set of sheet music at the piano. She lifted the cover off the piano and James could hear the percussion of piano notes ringing about the floor.

"How much sooner are your guests arriving, anyway?" he asked the groom. It occurred to James, as they walked past many more seats all the way to the host's table, the guests could arrive at any given time.

"It's pretty early, I think," the groom said. "No. Besides, the wedding cake we ordered for tonight won't be arriving anytime soon. I think when that time comes, the guests will be here."

* * *

Hundreds of dishes, set inside the kitchens of the restaurant, remained prepared but not cooked. Steven Stone knew that it was only a matter of time before the dinner guests started to arrive at the restaurant.

He looked at Metagross, who was levitating dishes into their proper locations, and the culinary staff, who were washing their hands. Steven looked at his own clothes – a black chef jacket – and properly wiped off some sauce on the sleeves, and then looked at the clock.

"We will begin in exactly half an hour," Steven announced. "Take a drink of water or something, as we're going to have our hands full soon."

Some of the staff went to fill up glasses of water for themselves, while others looked at the uncooked dishes as if the cooking process happened already. Weren't they always this eager to cook? Steven knew them, and the time would come very soon. Speaking of which, Steven left the kitchen to see how things were going upstairs.

He took the private elevator to the third floor, which was empty except for the restaurant staff and the wedding couple. Steven approached the couple to greet them.

"And this," James d'Arc said, "is the man. Steven Stone! He's chef of this restaurant after all."

The groom was about to say something, but Steven beat him to it, holding up a hand. "Save your compliments for later," he said. "You should really be thanking James here. He _is_ the one who spearheaded this arrangement. I'm only here to do my part."

The groom and Steven shook hands, anyway.

"Come to that, don't you have a wedding cake set up?" Steven asked, suddenly aware that there wasn't one in their midst. "Or is it because…?"

"Yeah, it hasn't arrived yet," the groom said, albeit sheepishly. "It was a last-minute order thing and I completely forgot to get one ordered before we came here. Luckily there was a dessert shop in town that was willing to make one for us, with so little time."

Something flickered in Steven's eyes. There could only be one dessert shop that existed in Cyllage City alone…

"Where did you order your cake?" Steven timidly asked. In spite of upholding his professional image, he had a gut feeling that the answer was expected, and his face darkened.

The dreaded answer came, and this time it was the bride who answered.

"At Vue sur la Lune," she answered happily. "They're known around here to have a fabulous reputation at making desserts, so we asked them if they could make a wedding croquembouche for us in a few hours. They were happy to oblige."

Steven stared at her as if his heart wrenched. It only got worse when she stared back.

"Hey… you're that handsome man on the magazine cover!" she said with tone of realisation and ignoring Steven's stunned reaction. "So… is it true you could be a match for that lovely woman at Vue sur la Lune? Now, now, I'm not saying you two are apples and oranges, but you _do_ seem like a compliment to her. You make the meals and she makes the cake."

The restaurant owner, Steven, couldn't believe he had just suffered another loss to Cynthia again. Any cake maker, he could cope with, but with _Cynthia_ being the one who made the cake just seemed to… be unsettling.

How could people actually compare him to Cynthia? Was it because he had feelings for her? Maybe not. Maybe, like apples and oranges, he and Cynthia were perfect substitutes. How could they ever be compliments? Steven didn't need to remind himself his business was in danger _because_ of Cynthia entering the food market. However, he also didn't need to remind himself that he had other upcoming plans that may save his firm. Otherwise, he would have to start taking drastic measures.

"She _is_ attractive, after all," the bride said. "Maybe one day you'll marry her someday like I am right now! Just wait for that wedding cake we've ordered: we've asked her to decorate it with apples!"

Apples and oranges… Steven didn't want to hear that for the rest of the day.

* * *

**There you have it, a chapter I particularly enjoyed writing. Anyway, whoever reviews gets a seat at this wedding reception!**


	6. The Breathtaking Banquet

**dawnleaf 1234, you are entitled to a seating at this reception! Please take a seat, and enjoy your dinner! Order a drink if you like.**

* * *

_**Chapter six: The Breathtaking Banquet**_

The dinner guests, about two hundred of them, showed up at the Stone Bistro within the next hour altogether. Upon the wedding couple's request, there was a table set at the lobby desk for wedding reception, complete with a large paperboard and pens of many colours. Eight minutes before the dinner guests arrived, vast numbers of croquembouche – a Kalos specialty that involved choux pastry balls held together by caramel – created with small appetizing apples and served with peaches with cream, had been delivered from Vue sur la Lune to the restaurant, and put on display at the lobby. However, the staff who delivered the cake were reluctant to do so.

Upon James' orders, Martine Grenadine and the other servers were tasked with placing chocolates and mints to each table before the guests could actually arrive. This was no easy feat. Given the time constraint they had and the number of tables they had to serve, it seemed impossible. But being the professionals they were, they managed to get each table the right amount of sweets.

By the time the first of two hundred guests showed up at the doors of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, it was getting close to twilight. The skies of Cyllage City started to fade into a deep blue-and-orange with clouds rapidly turning into pink.

Unsurprisingly, the guests were first welcomed by the sight of a plate of croquembouche displayed at the lobby, and even more unsurprisingly they took pictures of the dessert. The reaction from Steven about this was… negative.

At the same time, the guests were welcomed by the bride and groom, who of course the latter invited. Lively conversations were stirred up with some guests, while other guests went over to the receptionists' desk for signing in. Afterwards, Martine Grenadine and the other servers showed the guests to their tables.

Elsewhere, Steven Stone, James d'Arc, and the professional team of chefs had finally started to cook the meals at the request of the wedding couple. To begin, with the hors d'oeuvres, the wedding couple wanted them to serve a certain Kalos fondue to every guest in this reception, with a certain creamy soup that was a specialty of the Stone Bistro. That is, over two hundred dishes of the pâté-baguette combination had already been prepared to make. Now, all the cooking team was concerned with was creating the soups as efficiently and cleanly as possible.

It felt like they hadn't been this busy for months!

The specific fondue in question was a special kind of pâté using local Cyllage goods served with very thin slices of oven-baked baguette, with creamy Kalos cheese melted on a fondue pot, and served with clusters of baguette. In addition, it was best served with an aperitif (an alcohol mixture). But as for minors, Martine directed the serving staff to preparing non-alcoholic cocktails too. It was only a combination between an aperitif and hors d'oeuvres that would make the appetizer special.

In effect, Martine and the others were working around the clock serving drinks!

There was a wine cellar at the ground floor of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro where the entire restaurant's alcohol supply of Kalos and imported wine was kept – old wines, new wines, ancient wines, and fresh wines. That being said, it was managed and run by the bar and bistro, and whenever patrons wanted to stop by for a drink and perhaps some fried snacks, this was the place to go. However, as far as the restaurant above and around was concerned: the bar staff helped supply the restaurant and bistro staff with what they needed, and were masters at creating aperitifs and cocktails.

After all, it was their specialty!

"Orders! Loads and loads of orders!" Martine popped into the bar cheerfully, while slapping dozens and dozens of drink orders onto the bar counter (of course, the other servers had to keep Martine in check by forcing to lay out the drink requests in an orderly fashion).

The bartender and his associates picked up the orders and, without need for another word, they got to work. Some turned around to find the specific drinks that were ordered, while others searched underneath the counter for other alcohols. At the same time, more bar staff went to look for non-alcohol-based mixtures. Whereas the bar staff managed these drinks, others helped the bistro staff look for specific wines in the wine cellar.

Some bar staff took the easy route by creating the non-alcoholic cocktails first. One case was lime juice from an unopened glass bottle (she twisted the gold-coloured cap open), crushed Nomel Berry (using a bowl, she took two Nomel Berries, placed it in a bowl, and grinded it into powder with a crushing tool), and shattered ice cubes (she put many, many, many, ice cubes in a blender full to the brim, and grinded them all into bits and pieces, so as to use the ice for more cocktails to come). This bartender then poured the ice shards into a glass, added all of the Nomel Berry powder and poured lime juice into it until the glass was full, and then she stirred it well until the drink was cold.

To this bar staff member, it was a simple drink, and she placed the finished work on the counter, alongside at least a dozen more cocktails and drinks.

Meanwhile, another drink-making bar member pulled out a certain bottle of Pamtre Berry gin (a spirit with a particularly high alcohol content), and poured two measures of it into a cocktail shaker. An additional bistro staff member helped supply a bottle of Razz Berry vodka (spicy and sweet…), where the drink-maker poured one measure of it into the shaker. Last but not least, a second bistro staff provided half a measure of a local Kalos speciality: a fine spirit made from a blend of multiple regional wines. Afterwards, the shaker was filled with ice cubes and the bar member responsible for making this drink shut the container with a steel cap and shook the shaker violently, while hearing the sound of ice smashing against each other, and finally poured out the ice-cold alcoholic cocktail into a glass. As well, a very thin slice of lemon peel was placed in it by the bar member. A glass of tonic water, supplied by a bistro staff, was placed beside the cocktail.

"That's another fine work done," he muttered, as he placed the completed drink alongside the dozens of other finished drinks. Martine Grenadine picked up the glass and placed it on the tray she was holding (which already had many more drinks on it!).

Simply but cautiously, Martine brought the tray of drinks to the restaurant lobby so she could head to one of two elevators, transport the drinks to the third floor above, and then serve them to the table she was serving. That being said, there were many more tables and drinks to attend to. It was fortunate there were plenty of staff to cover the two hundred guests!

Meanwhile, the sound of a grand piano filled the air of the third floor, as other guests took pictures and mingled with each other, as well as the bride and groom, as the sun's rays shined through the glass exterior of the Stone Bistro to signify the start of twilight.

* * *

"There seems to be a party over there at the Stone," some dessert-maker from Vue sur la Lune told Cynthia. "Business seems so _slow_ today…"

"Well, at least we had that croquembouche made ready," Cynthia pointed out. "That was something! And we only had a couple hours to complete it too! At least that kept us busy."

"True," the dessert-maker agreed.

The sun rays made the air inside Vue sur la Lune's café heated, and the atmosphere became… comforting. Only a few customers stopped by for coffee and some fluffy carrot cake or orange tarts, but that was all. Seeing there was little to do, Cynthia went to make chocolates.

Design was something Cynthia could appreciate at Vue sur la Lune. Often the market would regard her chocolates as, apart from tasting as sweet as they are, the most beautiful designed, back in her culinary training days. Critic reviews held her chocolates with high regard. With that thought in mind, Cynthia wondered if it was worth opening a restaurant and dessert shop in Lumiose City.

But she knew there was no chance of that happening. With property values of Lumiose City being the highest in all of Kalos, it would be horrifically expensive to purchase a property large enough to open a shop there. Even though Cynthia was a former Champion, she knew she didn't have enough funding. Loaning was possible, but it was a huge risk, and one that Cynthia wasn't willing to take.

The smell of chocolate wafted deliciously throughout the café. With her bare hands, Cynthia delicately molded chunks of fudge into cubes and pieces of chocolates into different shapes and sizes. Whether they looked like blocks with a garnish or miniature mugs with a creamy filling, they all appeared equally pleasant to the eye.

With the amount of spare time they had, the dessert staff of Vue sur la Lune helped themselves to leftover servings of the croquembouche they had created several hours ago. The idea of piles of choux pastry balls held together by mounds of caramel served with apples and peaches was enough to make anyone's mouth water. To keep things fair, the staff divided the croquembouche evenly so that everyone would have a relatively good share of the croquembouche.

Cynthia, however, had no appetite for the croquembouche, and helped herself to a serving of vanilla ice cream, decorated with dark chocolate bits, on a cone instead. If there was anything she enjoyed, it was ice cream. Was Kalosian ice cream any different than what she tasted in Sinnoh? Maybe not.

"Hey, Cynthia," one of her café staff, who was eating a portion of croquembouche on a plate, addressed her. "That supply of ingredients for Unovan cheesecake we ordered is finally coming in tonight. We expect to have them on display tomorrow."

"Oh? I see…" Cynthia carelessly said. She absentmindedly munched off parts of the ice cream.

This café staff member was a 23-year old who went by the name of Henri Matin. Having had five years of full-time experience in the café business earned him a modest reputation amongst Kalos locals – specifically in Lumiose City, where he worked at various Kalosian bistros and cafés and earning multitudes of experience with Kalos cooking. But this came at a price: he had to be aware of any chance he could get laid off!

When Vue sur la Lune opened up, and more job opportunities that came with it, Henri jumped at the chance. He had heard of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, of course, and working there wasn't bad, but it simply wasn't his specialty, so he opted for Vue sur la Lune instead.

Needless to say he was rewarded by working under a no-nonsense boss and a vast number of openly-friendly staff!

"Is something troubling you, Ms. Cynthia?" he asked his boss, while spearing a choux pastry ball and putting it in his mouth, and tasting the caramel and apple that came with it. "Is it, perhaps, the Stone? We did make a croquembouche for them, yeah?"

"No, Henri, I'm just bored," Cynthia replied.

Henri looked unconvinced, but he shrugged. Before he went on his way, he asked, "If you're bored, then why don't you head over to the Stone and see what the wedding banquet is like? Business is slow tonight, so we can take it from here."

That seemed like a good idea.

"I suppose…" Cynthia got out of her chair. If she was going to a wedding banquet uninvited, then she could at least dress like she belonged there, but sadly she didn't know _what_ to wear. A business suit, perhaps, or maybe her trademark clothes she wore as Champion?

Maybe it would be more appropriate to comb or curl her hair as well…

"Are you sure you don't want a little croquembouche?" Henri offered. "Everyone has had a little bit, so why not?"

Cynthia paused to think. Sure, the croquembouche _did_ look appetizing to the eye, and sure it was created out from a last-minute effort from her staff, but she didn't have an appetite for it. Nevertheless, one of the dessert makers passed Cynthia a plate, anyway.

"I really don't have an appetite, though…" Cynthia quietly complained. In spite of her complaint, Cynthia went to try it, anyway. Even though it was a dessert that she hadn't tasted while it was being made!

Sweet caramel combined with choux pastry balls had never tasted this good, and it had been too long since Cynthia had eaten croquembouche. Did the pastry somehow taste better and sweeter than it was supposed to be? If so, then why was she enjoying it so much? The choux pastry tasted light, but the caramel and apples made up for the sweetness, if not the peaches!

After ten minutes, Cynthia walked out of Vue sur la Lune with her hair elegantly curled and her business suit neatly straightened.

* * *

The air of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro continued to fill with the sound of grand piano, which was appropriate as the guests gathered at one of the wall-sized windows on the floor (even though every window was wall-sized!) because it was time for the trademark photo shoots of the sunset.

Moreover, the evident sunset made this spot desirable, because everyone wanted to have their photo taken with the sunset. Time was short, so the photographer had to shoot the photos quick, but also had to ensure they were good photos.

Priority was given to the wedding couple and their immediate families, so almost everyone had to make way – but with lots of smiles – to let the couple take their pictures in front of the dazzling sunset. Family and extended family soon followed in the photo lineup, followed by friends.

Even for those waiting to have their photo taken, the view of the sunset was worthwhile!

At this point, the wedding guests had all been served their fondues, drinks, and soups. All the servers took the liberty of starting the fires beneath the fondue pots to melt the cheese, mixing a little wine in it for some improved flavour, and allowed the guests to dip in pieces of baguette into the molten cheese to enjoy. The accompanying servers would help deliver the soup serving – garnished with pepper and green onion – afterward.

Some guests took personal pictures of the food, while others ate it straight away. Some dipped pieces of baguette into the cheese fondue, others had spoonfuls of soup already in their mouths.

As far as Steven was concerned, his staff had most of the next course – consisting of fish and mushrooms – almost ready to go. As head chef, Steven was partly obligated to take photos with the guests as well despite how busy it was. The cooking couldn't wait, but neither would the sunset, and the guests were demanding his presence!

So, dressed in his black chef jacket, Steven went straight for the photo shoot where the guests were eagerly waiting for him. The handsome chef some of them knew about, who never thought about having a girlfriend, was going to be in their photo!

For the time being, Steven Stone was preoccupied with having photos taken with him and the guests. James d'Arc on the other hand took leadership role in preparing the fish course: a fillet of dorée served with a blended sauce of white wine and fresh Mago berry. An additional side sauce made of diced Pinap berry was to be prepared alongside the fish course – as its sour and spicy taste made it the perfect complement to the main dorée course.

James ensured that everyone was preparing the white wine and Mago berry sauce in the desired order. Stirred in pans, combining blended Mago berry and white wine, the combination was _fiery_. Flames arose from the addition of wine as the sauce was stirred in the heat! James took charge of creating this sauce, while other chefs were focused on chopping Pinap berries into bits and stirring it with a little hot water to loosen its intense taste.

Meanwhile, other chefs were grilling tens of fillets of dorée!

Steven was all smiles as he had photos taken. Not once did he ever regret buying the property here at Cyllage City. For once in a while, he could seriously enjoy himself. Here, in his restaurant, against the brilliant sunset that the resort was known for.

Lastly, as the sun continued to glimmer in such a way that sent shivers down everyone's spines, the wedding couple took one last picture together against the sunset, when the stars were beginning to twinkle in the twilight.

"Mr. Stone! Care to join us?" the groom offered.

"With pleasure," Steven answered. "But please, just call me Steven. Everyone calls my father Mr. Stone already, so…"

The groom and Steven stood to the side as the bride occupied the space between them. Behind them, the sun sank beneath the horizon to signify the beginning of dusk. The photographer waved for their attention to the camera.

* * *

After the photos, the lights that lined up the windows, black walls, and white walls of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro illuminated comforting lights everywhere. The ocean outside was still reflecting the last bits of sunlight, but now the reflection was replaced by stars.

Martine had just served her table glasses of water and, with her accompanying waitress, disassembled the fondue kit and put it away. From what she observed, the food was eaten cleanly. Not a bit of cheese or piece of baguette or drop of soup was left over.

Now, James d'Arc had confirmed the fish course was ready and had Martine and the servers begin rolling out the dishes. Steven had finished with the photos and had gone back into the kitchen to start cooking the main course: a Stone Accolade for every guest. (Whereas the photographer had gone back to his table to eat his serving of the fish course. He already finished his appetizer!). Steven and the other chefs were definitely going to have their work cut out! To make two hundred dishes of the Accolade wasn't going to be easy. To keep the work simple and less tedious on their part, Martine had every server record what sauce each customer wanted in their Accolade (either red wine or white wine) and had the orders divided into two respective groups once they arrived at the kitchen.

James worked with another cook preparing an enormous cut of beef to be roasted over an open fire, rotisserie-style – first by ensuring the beef was completely clean and fresh. Already the beef had been laced with herbs and spices, so James and the other cook placed the beef over an oven fire. After that was over with, James went to help make the onion au jus with other cooks. One of the largest saucepans and pots were designed for this task, so he got to work straight away.

At the same time, Steven worked with a pan full of ingredients necessary for the Stone Accolade: spices, fresh mushrooms, onions, and peppers with olive oil, garlic, and red wine added to it. The smell of cooked food was overwhelming, but not as overwhelming as the sautéed Asiago cheese beside him. Elsewhere, envelopes and envelopes of rice flour were being baked as onions were being caramelised, and blue cheese cores packed with flavour were being prepared too!

* * *

The wedding couple were pressured by the wedding guests to kiss before their eyes, and that was exactly what they did. While the guests waited for the entrée to arrive, the pianist switched to playing a dazzling tone that sent the message what was about to happen: the wedding couple were about to dance!

On the special dance floor set up in the area, the couple stood together on the space and – after getting a cue from the pianist – began dancing together (a formal dance, specifically).

At the same time, Martine and the servers received the order to deliver the dorée fillets. While the guests were entertained by the sight of the couple dancing together, they had the scent of delicious food served before their eyes as they watched!

Some tried out the fish with the Mago berry-white wine sauce alone, while others combined the taste with the Pinap berry sauce. Was there no end to the thrill of tastes here at the Stone Bistro?

* * *

At the lobby below, the receptionists were greeted by an unexpected visitor at an hour like this. Well, who else would it be? It was the rival! But the receptionists had no idea who she was, nonetheless.

"I'm here to see Mr. Stone," she said.

"He's busy right now," the female receptionist replied. "But if you'd like to make an appointment, I can handle that. Or, we can get you a table upstairs and see if we can get him to you, if he has the time."

The visitor nodded, and for a moment she glimpsed at the croquembouche standing proudly in the lobby, underneath the chandelier. "A table for one, please. By the way, what's going on up there?"

"There's a wedding banquet going on," the male receptionist answered. "Mr. Stone is currently overseeing the session, which is why he's busy. Invitation only, but if you're interested in checking it out… I'm sure he wouldn't mind a few minutes."

* * *

The dorée fish course, eaten with the delicious sauces of Mago berry and white wine, with Pinap berry, was finished without complaint from anyone. The servers had quickly cleared the dishes and refilled glasses of water, and some already offered their compliments to the cooking staff!

Metagross wasn't mentioned much, but was it sure helpful with the serving staff. With the use of Psychic, multiple tables could be cleared at once with minimal effort, and all Martine and the others had to do was send the dishes straight for cleaning.

"Well done, Metagross," Martine commented.

Certainly, this Pokémon of Steven's had to hover above the floor every second it worked, because no guest would want the sound of stomping feet shaking the restaurant! Even if Metagross couldn't smell, it could sense the impending presence of the Stone Accolade. Every flat stone, baked to perfection, had genuinely thin slices of roast beef with pieces of sautéed asiago on it, drizzled with caramelised onions and lightly garnished with herb and dill; with decent-sized envelopes of rice flour folded to pack the vegetables it held within – and the delicate core of blue cheese surrounded by vegetables cooked in the choice of red or white wine.

Knives and forks were the tools of choice for this course. The guests, and the wedding couple, cut pieces of the roast beef and dipped it in the au jus. Some preferred a blend of tastes and ate pieces of the asiago, caramelised onion, au jus, and beef altogether. Whereas others went to cutting open the envelopes of rice flour to explore the contents it held within.

It was now that Steven had to take a break from the cooking and went to greet the guests as well. Once again, James and the others were left to clearing the kitchen and prepared to make the next course.

By the time he arrived, he was just in time to see the wedding couple sharing toasts of champagne with the guests. Being the host he was, Steven gladly joined the wedding couple in the toast, and had a small glass of champagne with him the entire time. He wasn't going to drink much of it, of course, but it was good to be part of the celebration.

"Compliments to the chef!"

"This is what we call excellence, sir. Well done."

"The Stone Accolade has, without question, lived up to its name."

Steven modestly beamed at the feedback he was getting, and could only reply, "Don't thank me yet. There's more to come." After saying this, Steven went on toasting with the bride and groom and observing the satisfied guests enjoying the signature dish of the restaurant. To those who had no desire for roast beef, James had supplied more rice envelopes of vegetables with the blue cheese core, whilst retaining the asiago cheese and caramelised onions.

"I'm glad you could join us for toast, Steven. We can't thank you enough," the bride said happily.

Grinning, Steven reserved the right to not reply, but held up his glass once more to the couple.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he could see a platinum blond-haired woman stride past tables and observing the food around her. She was well-dressed in a suit, but it was the extravagance of her hair that was so beautifully curled, and the fashionable heels, that made Steven freeze. He barely even breathed.

_Wow…_ he thought.

"Hey, Steven! You okay there?" the groom waved a hand for his attention.

Steven's senses snapped awake.

"Wha… what?" he drearily asked.

"You were… I don't know – staring at that lady for some time, you know," the groom whispered in Steven's ear so that no one else could hear. "Wait, you're not telling me you _don't _have a girlfriend? Not that a lot of people noticed, since they're focused on me, but a couple of your servers have taken notice too…"

Steven's eyes darted toward the 19-year old auburn-haired waitress (Martine. Who else?), who, after witnessing the scene before her, had put one hand over her mouth and the other waving at her boss. Steven glared.

"I have to go," he quickly said to the groom, but the groom was hardly helpful.

"It's alright, Steven. If you need some space to develop your personal life, maybe to the point of marriage, then hey, I won't get in your way," the groom said. Then he gestured his newly-wed to toast with other tables, and left Steven behind.

Exactly three seconds after that, Steven hid his face and ran back to the kitchens!

"You alright there, Steven?" James asked him.

That question was not helpful, but James could detect Steven wasn't in the mood to talk. Knowing Steven, he would probably respond with something like, "I'm fine." Judging by Steven's appearance (he leaned against the wall, taking short breaths), denial was imminent.

"I'm fine," Steven replied, which caused James to roll his eyes. "Just… just get the salads ready."

* * *

**It's not too late to miss out on this dinner! Review, and take a seat!**


	7. Croquembouche

**Time literally flies by in university. It's been over a month since I've uploaded this story! Sorry to the readers who have been anticipating an update, but I've been extremely busy. Ugh, final exams (one worth 90%, one worth 45%, one worth 35%, andone worth 30%) are around the corner. I have only 3 weeks left before the impending doom! I have to study for it too, and I haven't completed my projects!**

**This is the longest chapter so far, though I didn't intend to make it this long. It's always fun to write stuff with Martine in it, nonetheless.**

**That aside, I'd like to extend nice seats of this reception to GFF and the honoured Guest. dawnleaf1234, are you enjoying dinner?**

* * *

_**Chapter seven: Croquembouche**_

Whether it was because the pretty platinum-blond had arrived or that Steven was just dazzled, Martine was in a good mood. The guests were enjoying the remainder of the Accolade, eating whatever was left on the flat stone, as the servers helped clear the tables and refill the guests' glasses with drinks.

"Is everything good so far?" Martine asked her dinner table.

"Again and I'll say it again: excellent," one of the guests answered. "I wouldn't mind a little more water, though, with lemon. Overall, compliments to the chef."

"Certainly," Martine smiled. She gathered more of the warm stones and stacked them together, before getting Metagross to transport them away. Service was good so far tonight, and there was still more food to come.

* * *

James d'Arc directed the cooks to creating genuine bistro salads. The bistro salad would be of the same dish, but what made this salad special was that it was an original recipe from the Stone Restaurant and Bistro – Steven had this recipe inspired during his time at Lumiose City.

Speaking of which, he noticed that Steven had regained his cool and had begun to help make the salads as well. As another two-hundred dishes had to made, this was no small task. Extra support from the administrator would be of great help.

Cooking staff had to wash bunches and bunches of – specifically – baby lettuce grown in Kalos, along with sliced cherry tomatoes served alongside grounded fragments of the Tamato berry, with pistachio and red wine vinegar. A side of dried fruits would decorate the salad, and finally sprinkled with fragmented cheese to compliment a light flavour.

Little did anyone in the kitchens know that Steven, far from focusing on making the salads (although he did manage to make the salads perfectly, even without focusing), was thinking of ways to evict Cynthia from his property.

She had to go. Period.

_It's almost impossible_, he thought. _Unless I really want to embarrass myself in front of just about everyone here!_

"James! Go start on the vinaigrette. The others and I will catch up," Steven ordered.

"_Oui_, chef," James said, turning his head momentarily while saying this, and got straight to work.

Steven, on the other hand, saw to one of the servers who passed by the kitchen to deliver some dirty dishes. He got his attention first by waving.

"What is it, chef?"

Steven cleared his throat, and spoke quietly into his ear (so that no one else could listen in), "There is a certain platinum blond who just walked into this banquet. Can you go and tell her that the… bride says there isn't any more food left for her? So she can leave?"

The server blinked, which surprised Steven. Normally, his servers were quick to respond to his commands, so what was the matter with the slow reaction?

"_Non_, chef," the server replied, as a tiny smile crept on the side of his lips. "Martine saw to giving her a seat straight away; and besides, I'm sure you have plenty of food left here! After all, some of the guests called in sick, so…"

Steven really felt like facepalming now, but nevertheless reluctantly ordered the server to take the remaining dishes for Cynthia – the Stone Accolade and a still-hot creamy soup that was the appetizer. It seemed enough for a full meal, but Steven didn't need to remind himself that there were several more courses yet to be made, including the salad he was making right now…

That reminded him, Cynthia wasn't a guest.

"I'll be right back," he told James. Steven passed James the finished red wine vinegar. The alcohol had burned away in the fire when Steven had cooked the dressing, which left the dressing hot when it was finished. Now, all James had to do was set it aside as the rest of the cooking staff continued making the bistro salads.

_And why would you leave at a time like this?_ James thought. He watched his head chef leave the kitchen in a hurry, never minding the others who curiously watched in the same way.

* * *

"Ah, and here is the chef now," the groom said. "That Accolade was delicious, Steven. You have my deepest complements."

Steven smiled only reluctantly, as he half-heartedly kept his attention on the outstanding platinum-blond who sat at a table beside a window. She did look dazzling with the beautifully curled hair, and the professional-looking business suit…

Who was he kidding?!

"I need you to do me a favour," Steven asked the groom. "Do you see that platinum-blond woman over there? With the knee-length platinum blond hair? The one who walked in? I don't recall you ever inviting _her_ over here."

He thought he was getting somewhere by asking the wedding couple to evict someone who _clearly_ was not invited to this wedding reception. Unfortunately, in stark contrast to Steven's expectations, he received the worst reaction possible, in his opinion.

"Hey… how did you know we didn't invite her?" the bride asked Steven. "Wait a minute… I see! We talked about this already, Mr. Stone! Don't you recall staring at her for a while, like half an hour ago? The apple and the orange… yes, I remember her clearly!"

He, Steven, gritted his teeth. "That's no excuse not to get rid of her. She's not invited."

"True, true, but…" the groom added, his face also bearing a smile, "you forget that she's from Vue sur la Lune, where we ordered the croquembouche. We didn't think she'd manage it, but she did. We could always repay her the favour by letting her eat with us."

"Besides!" the bride said enthusiastically. "Maybe you'll get to know her better while she's here! It's my wedding day, so why not take the opportunity to know her more? Maybe see her as a prospect? After all, there is a popular belief around Cyllage City that in weddings you'll meet your future spouse –"

Steven left the table.

* * *

Salads were constantly tossed and stirred in metal bowls by the cooking staff. The Kalosian-grown baby lettuce leaves were wonderfully blended together with the fresh taste of red wine vinegar were only one part of the salad making, while other staff – with clean wooden boards – sliced cherry tomatoes in half with knives and broke off pieces of the Tamato berry with small hammers. When those were done, the Tamato pieces and the sliced cherry tomatoes were tossed into the salad combination.

Dried berries complimented the tossed combination as the salads were poured out onto plates. Fragmented cheese – light and dry – was sprinkled on top, with plenty of crushed pistachio and dried fruits. Lastly, the plates of salad were handed over to the servers to be plated.

"Well done, team," James nodded, giving his approval. "The guests will be pleased."

They were told by one of the waitresses that one or two invited guests were absent, but that didn't stop the staff from making the extra one or two dishes. After all, the wedding couple paid for two hundred servings, right? It would be wasteful to not use the ingredients provided.

Well… that would mean they, the cooking staff, would have the right to try out what they had created! Alas…

"An uninvited guest showed up half an hour ago," a waiter told them. "I don't know about her, but she's quite attractive! A fitting match for our boss, Mr. Stone. Hey, wasn't she on the cover of that magazine? Apples and oranges, right?"

The cooking staff snorted, but James' eyes were fixed on who was behind the said waiter. The waiter, aware of this, turned his head around to see 'Mr. Stone' looking right at him. Steven's eyes glared, and his placed an intimidating hand on the waiter's shoulder.

"_If you keep talking like that_," he warned, "_I'll make sure 25% of your paycheque is docked this week.._."

Steven then went to help complete the remaining salads. Sure, there were enough cooks to get the course done and adding another wouldn't increase productivity by much – but Steven wasn't just 'another' cook. He was the head chef. He could finish the dishes in the most efficient way possible!

* * *

The doors of the kitchens opened for the servers to carry out the salad dishes. On the bottom floor, they rode the elevators carrying as many dishes of Lumiose-inspired salad. No doubt the salads made their mouths water, but they knew first and foremost that serving the guests was the priority.

Besides, at least the restaurant still provided a non-wedding reception meal for the servers after the guests had their fill. Given the reception was going to last into the night, there was no doubt that everyone and not just the servers needed food to sustain them. Nevertheless, the first-class food created and served at the Stone Bistro had no one complaining.

As the servers, Martine included, arrived at the third floor with carts full of salad, the guests were enjoying themselves. They socialised, the talked with the wedding couple, they listened to genuine grand piano play throughout, and watched the view of the Kalosian coast from their quality seats.

Martine took the liberty of serving Cynthia her salad.

"I trust you're enjoying your food?" Martine asked, placing the salad plate on the table and taking away the finished Stone Accolade and the empty soup bowl.

"It's delicious, yes," Cynthia commented, although her voice seemed sour, "but I think, as a separate chef, I could have made some of my own improvements to it. I'm no food critic, unfortunately, but I think… this is different. Is it genius? I don't know, but I can't admit this isn't the finest entrée so far."

Martine grinned. "Anyway, I present to you a fine Lumiose-inspired bistro salad, out of the works of the Stone. Freshly picked lettuce served with a bit of spicy Tamato berry and red wine vinegar should be the fitting compliment to an extravagant course like the Accolade. Enjoy the salad!"

This prompted Cynthia to look down at the appetizing greens before her, and she began to eat first by spearing the leaflets with the prongs of her fork and putting it in her mouth. She complimented the salad and dried fruits with a glass of red wine. At the same time, she continued to enjoy the atmosphere of the wedding reception.

Indeed, the Lumiose-style bistro salad proved to be the perfect follow-up after eating a serving of the Accolade. The red wine vinegar certainly helped with mixing a light flavour to help with the lingering taste of the Accolade.

To some extent, it felt like the salad was _made_ to clean out what was left of the meal. Well, it was classical Kalosian-style dinner, after all, but made with a first-class personal touch of the Stone.

"Just wondering, but what do you make of Steven?" Martine innocently asked, and Cynthia became self-conscious that this 19-year old waitress was trying to dig into her personal life. "He thinks you're a pretty powerful business rival, and when I say 'pretty', I mean '_pretty_'pretty. You know what I mean?"

Cynthia brushed her hair so that a lock was covering half her face. She kept her voice cool as she speared more salad into her mouth. "That, Martine, is something that does not need discussing."

"He's a pretty handsome guy!" Martine grinned. "Hey, now that I think of it, why do you always give Steven vouchers to your restaurant? I know your restaurant is new and all, so… why? I keep an eye on him, you know, and I go with him to your restaurant."

Now Cynthia was at a momentary loss for words, but she quickly recovered her cool state, and gave her logical reply, "Have you ever thought of business, Martine?"

"Many times," Martine replied. "Some of the guys at the Stone reckon I'll be the next owner should Steven somehow retire, but hey, for a handsome gentleman like him, it's a wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend yet."

Cynthia sighed. To keep her attention away from Martine, she watched the slideshow presented on a huge screen on the floor. She was even more thankful to some other waiter who ordered Martine not to slack off. Needless to say, apart from Martine's awkward conversation, Cynthia was enjoying the salad and her dinner. Maybe showing up to the Stone wasn't so bad… but still, Cynthia had some doubts about the quality of food, and reckoned she could possibly do better.

"Would you agree he's handsome?" Martine said, breaking down Cynthia's thoughts.

Cynthia's lips tightened before she opened them to say, "I suppose…"

Well, she supposed that her strength wasn't in entrées, but she supposed that her strength in it was decent. Did it hurt to look at the competition, let alone eat there? Well, granted, she and Steven were competitive… right? No surprise. The popular Kalos magazine had speculated that.

* * *

The first of the finished salad plates were on their way back to the kitchens and ready to be cleaned. For the most part, the cooking staff were clearing their work stations and cleaning the tables. The fifth course was the prelude to the end of dinner: a welcoming selection of fine cheeses that only the Stone Restaurant and Bistro knew what to buy, served with strawberries and grapes.

As far as the cooking staff were concerned, the cheese course was almost hardly their business. The cheeses were prepared onto traditional wooden boards and served out on trolleys to each table, but they were mainly handled by the servers. It followed, however, that preparing two-hundred cheese trolleys was excruciating for such a limited number of staff.

So, apart from clearing their work stations, the cooking staff helped lay out the cheeses on wooden boards, whereas the servers would end up being the ones who cut the cheese for the guests. To keep costs down, yet maintaining the Stone's example of presenting excellence, there were five whole cheeses for each course, and each person! Five times two-hundred… that was a thousand cheeses!

"That's a lot of cheese…" James remarked.

The cooking staff were responsible for placing the cheeses on the board, yes, but they had to ensure they collaborated well with the servers that there would be one of each cheese ready for each trolley. To make things smoother, Steven organised each section of workers that they would be responsible for preparing a particular cheese.

While the dirty dishes and stones were being washed in order to make some space, the wooden boards carrying each cheese were being loaded onto the trolleys by the servers. To make the appearance more appealing, the servers cut pieces of cheese from the large portions – either in the form of blocks or wheels – and laid them on the board.

As the first of the cheese trolleys were being brought out of the kitchen, that being into one of the two private elevators, Metagross came back into the kitchen with a neat stack of dirty plates and stones ready to be washed.

Perhaps washing machines would be an efficient way to get things done, but some of the staff who brought their water-type Pokémon, specifically the local Clauncher, to help with cleaning too. To Steven it was a sure way of cutting costs, even though the restaurant had more than enough revenue to finance washing machines, but it more done more so for the Pokémon's sake. They enjoyed cleaning the dishes!

* * *

At this time, Cynthia watched the bride and groom finish addressing the guests, but not before hearing the clinking and ringing of glasses calling for the wedding couple to kiss each other. It was amusing, really, that they would have to succumb to such pressure…

The sound of grand piano echoed in the air once more, and the guests began to mingle with one another as they waited for the next course to come. Other guests took pictures with each other or against the night waters of the Kalosian coast.

Cynthia, though, was bored. It was enough that she got her fill of the Stone Bistro, and staying in the same seat for so long seemed to have gotten to her. Seeing that she was only visiting, Cynthia supposed that it wouldn't hurt to explore the restaurant's premises.

She stood up, brushing her curled hair behind her ears, not to mention catching the eyes of some males, and walked away from her table. On the way, she saw servers bringing trolleys stacked with appealing cheeses of different kinds…

"Tonight before the dessert course, for your pleasure, I present to you the cheese trolley…" one waiter introduced to his table.

"…we have this delicate serving, produced in the region outside Snowbelle City…"

"…This particular cheese is very light. Smooth texture, if you're interested…"

"…you haven't tasted intense flavour without…"

"Here, it's hard on the outside, creamy on the inside…"

"…will be bound to leave you yearning for more…"

"Hey, Cynthia. Are you leaving already?!"

Cynthia stopped abruptly and realised she had almost ran into Martine, and more specifically was mere inches from bumping onto the cheese trolley Martine was pushing. Martine looked surprised, but Cynthia's face was apologetic.

"Sorry, Martine, but I have to go," she said. "I have to be awake dark and early for work tomorrow. As much as I'd like to stay."

Alas, Martine brought a plate from the trolley, cut small pieces of cheese from the blocks and placed them on the plate, before bringing it to Cynthia's nose. "Surely you could stay just for one more hour? It's really good cheese!"

If Cynthia wasn't feeling so full, she would have gladly accepted the cheese, but she had no appetite. The meal was good enough.

"I insist!" Martine happily pressed on, not really bothering with Cynthia's rejected face, and forcefully placed some blocks of cheese on Cynthia's hand. Defeated, Cynthia popped a piece into her mouth.

Other guests, meanwhile, were delighted at the prospect of trying out such delicious cheeses. One was creamy, one was solid, and one was smooth on the inside and hard on the outside. Cheese aside, the servers took the liberty of serving coffee or tea to the guests, as a gesture of the restaurant's hospitality.

"I'll get you a coffee, if you'd like," Martine offered. "I can really tell you're enjoying your time here, Ms. Cynthia. Why not stay for a little longer? The dessert course tonight is supposed to be really extravagant, or so I'm told."

Cynthia felt a shudder inside one of her Poké Balls before she could reply to Martine, so she took it out first and tossed it on the floor. Lo and behold, it was Garchomp.

"What is it, Garchomp?" she asked. "We have to leave, so – whoa!"

In a mere second, Garchomp seized the sleeve of Cynthia's business jacket and dragged her back to her table, forcing Cynthia back to her seat. Garchomp sat on the opposite chair, much to Martine's amusement. For her part, the 19-year old waitress pushed the cheese trolley back to Cynthia's table and served Garchomp the other delicious cheeses.

"It seems like Garchomp doesn't want you to leave either," Martine grinned. "Don't worry, Cynthia. I'll get you your coffee in no time."

Cynthia appeared frustrated, and then again she couldn't tear herself away from the aroma of cheese on the table before her. Even Garchomp seemed to be having a good time, helping herself to decent portions of cheese.

* * *

"I really don't believe this…" Steven muttered to himself, as he cut the last of the cheese and placed it on the wooden board. "_She's still here…_"

James d'Arc seemed to have noticed Steven's trance. "Hey, Steven, you still okay there? We're bringing out the croquembouche from the lobby into the kitchen now."

He expected a response from Steven, and all James got was a nod. Taking this response, James motioned the servers nearby to support those who were bringing the croquembouche in. The huge mound of croquembouche, stacked high with caramel and choux pastry balls with peaches and apples, was so tall that the servers feared the door frame would strike it down before they could bring it into the kitchen.

Fortunately, they did manage to get it in, and the cooking staff who weren't involved with cleaning the kitchen tasked themselves to taking the dessert apart and serving it onto plates. There were so many choux pastry, and the croquembouche was so massive, that there was definitely more than enough to serve two hundred guests.

"It looks so good…" a waitress commented.

"We should have some for ourselves!" a waiter added.

James cleared his throat. "That _will_ have to wait until they've eaten it."

Like they did with all the other courses, the servers collaborated at bringing the croquembouche plates out of the kitchen. They brought the mouth-watering plates with them to the elevators where they would transport them for the guests to enjoy. Why, they (the servers) hoped there would be enough left over for themselves too!

Steven, though, managed to sneak away from the kitchen and to the third floor. No, he had to evict Cynthia from his premises _now_. Just having her around here was unsettling. Not wanting to risk getting spotted by his employees, he opted to take the stairs.

* * *

Upon reaching the third floor, though, Steven could not have asked for a worse time.

"_I'm very glad that you could all show up for my reception tonight_," he heard the groom address the guests. "_And – Oh! There he is! The man who I'd like everyone to thank: Mr. Steven Stone, the head chef of the establishment, who has been a gracious host to us all. Please, Steven, come up. I insist._"

Reluctantly, but being the gentleman he was, Steven walked to the main table where the bride and groom were standing. He heard the many rounds of applause ring out on the floor and around him. By the time he approached the groom, the groom said through the microphone, "_I'm very glad you could play host to us, Steven. This is a very special night._"

"_It's been my pleasure,_" Steven replied.

"_And now, before we begin the dessert course, I'd like to invite someone else in this sitting up here,_" the groom announced. "_She is the maker of the croquembouche we will enjoy tonight, and if it wasn't for her, there would have been no dessert._"

Steven felt his heart sink. No, there could be only one, and only one, woman who the groom was talking about.

"_Truth be told, we gave her an impossible deadline to make the croquembouche, but she managed, and this certainly deserves merit. Please, Cynthia, come up here!_"

_And _I_ have to get out of here!_ Steven urgently thought.

Too late.

The platinum-blond woman, dressed in that simple business suit, with beautifully curled hair, approached the table. Steven, not wanting to embarrass himself, yet wanted to keep his distance, nervously moved to the side.

"_I'm certain that the croquembouche you all saw at the lobby earlier was enough to make your mouth water,_" the groom said. "_So please, a round of applause for the maker of that fabulous dessert. Cynthia!_"

Right as the applause roared, the doors burst open with the servers bringing out the illustrious and anticipated dessert. Immediately, the air was filled with the sweet scent of caramel, peaches, and apples, which forced everyone's eyes to look at the impeding dessert.

The floor went silent.

The servers, Martine Grenadine included, carried out many dishes of the piled sweet dessert on trays to their respective tables. Already, the eyes of the guests followed the plate of piled choux pastry and indistinct chatter followed. The chatter only got louder and louder as the croquembouche went around and was served at every table.

"_Incredible…_"

"_Luxury food at its finest…_"

"_It sure looks like the way to end a meal…_"

In addition to the dessert, the servers were followed by other servers who were bringing cups of freshly brewed thé (tea) and café (coffee) to the guests.

"For your pleasure this evening, the croquembouche dessert, accentuated by the taste of freshly brewed _la café_ will be the only way to conclude such a formal meal," the waiter explained.

When the first plate of corquembouche was placed before the first guest, the guest without hesitation picked up his fork, speared a choux pastry ball, and put it entirely into his mouth, and tasted the light pastry with the magnificence of caramel and peach and apple…

"This is… without a doubt, excellence!" he nodded. When he sipped a bit of his coffee, his face showed only an expression of delight and approval. Whether he was only exaggerating or being honest, the effect was good.

Following his reaction, those at his table also began sampling a bit of croquembouche as well. Like the first guest who tried it, they were equally satisfied. The expressions spread around the floor like instant gossip, and soon everyone was looking at anyone who got their hands on a plate of croquembouche.

One of the waiters brought the more considerably larger plates of croquembouche to the wedding couple's table, where Steven and Cynthia were standing at.

"Presenting to you… the masterpiece of tonight, _la croquembouche_, for the best way to conclude a meal as Kalos knows it…" the waiter explained.

"Hey, Steven, why don't you have some?" the bride questioned. "You never made this yourself, so you never know what it tastes like. Go on! It's only natural you should be rewarded with a dessert like this!"

As if on cue, a waitress brought a plate of croquembouche to Steven. The only peculiar thing was that the waitress was specifically Martine Grenadine. Was this a plot?! It had to be!

"I figured you wouldn't want to try it, boss," Martine said happily. "The guys in the kitchen are happily feasting themselves with croquembouche and tea. Even James. You're missing out!"

Steven looked horrified, but that expression disappeared instantly when he noticed all the guests were staring right at him. Not wanting to embarrass himself, and therefore submitting to public pressure, Steven reluctantly took the plate Martine offer to him, and speared a choux pastry ball covered in caramel before putting it into his mouth.

"Excellent, excellent!" the bride clapped, whereas the guests added to her applause. "I'm glad we could all experience this meal tonight. Such elegant dishes prepared by the Stone and finishing it with an extravagant wedding dessert by Vue sur la Lune! Truly! You've made my wedding special."

The guests cheered and clapped even louder.

"Say! Steven! Cynthia! How about a photo with the couple? It'll make a great memorabilia for tonight!" the photographer suggested, motioning the couple to stand with Steven and Cynthia.

Cynthia froze, but Steven was bitter. No way. No _way_. No _WAY_ was he going to have a photo taken with _her_. Well, he supposed he was the host, but to have _her_ accompany tonight seemed to have spoiled the moment.

He didn't have a say, so Cynthia replied instead.

"If you insist…" she muttered.

"Great! Line up, and smile!" the photographer waved for the four people to move closer. Steven stood behind the groom, and Cynthia stood behind the bride. They faced the photographer (though Steven and Cynthia wore awkward smiles) and let the camera do its job.

After the camera flashed, and not to mention other photos taken from other guests who gathered around the scene to take pictures, Cynthia thanked the couple before heading back to her table, where Garchomp was enjoying a plate of croquembouche herself.

Steven, though a little distraught, had to admit that the croquembouche was good… he brushed that thought aside and went back to retrieve his dessert plate. Not that he was going to eat more of the wedding dessert, albeit it tasted delicious, but he wasn't going to let _her _get the best of him, right? Incidentally, Metagross was passing by and had sensed Steven's thoughts.

_YOU!_ Steven thought. Sure, he thought about throwing the dessert away, but Metagross had used Psychic to levitate the croquembouche into Steven's hands. Metagross watched him stare at the dessert awkwardly.

"You've won me over…" Steven muttered. He speared an apple slice this time and mixed a bit of caramel with it to taste an impressive blend of flavour. Choux pastry didn't taste bad either, or the peaches. He supposed he could do with a cup of coffee right now. Maybe he should head back to his office and order Martine to grab some. Who was he kidding? Martine? Seriously?

As an afterthought, Steven reserved a portion for Metagross to enjoy as he walked away from the wedding couple. Careful to avoid the platinum-blond rival, he maneuvered carefully around the tables to head back to the stairs. Along the way, guests expressed their thanks and gratitude, which Steven modestly accepted.

Maybe tonight wasn't going to take too long. When this was over, when the guests had left, and _she_ was gone, things would go back to normal. Again, who was he kidding? It was a wedding reception. These sorts of things last hours and hours and hours into the night…

Steven didn't need to remind himself that he was being paid generously for this.

As he walked past more tables and savoured the smell of sweet croquembouche in the air, he felt a cold hand seize his arm as he walked by one particular table.

"My friend! Long time, no see! I can't believe you're here operating a business like _this_! And don't worry, I can see from here you've got a good eye for attractive women. Isn't Cynthia the sweetest? Rest assured, all the moral support you will ever need is here in your restaurant! You can cook pleasant meals for me while you're at it!"

Steven stopped dead. By 'dead', he stopped deathly still as if time itself had stopped.

_You have got to be freaking KIDDING me!_ Steven thought. He was not pleased to see _him_ here.

* * *

**Don't expect an update too soon...**

**There's still plenty of croquembouche to go around! (i.e. review to get a plate!) Who is this man Steven isn't pleased to see?**


	8. From Auburn to Turquoise to Red

**It's been well over a month since I've last updated! But as I've promised, I was doing my final exams and couldn't spare much time to write the chapter. WELL, my final exams are done for the time being, and I'm basically free to write for four months!**

**So to make it up to my fellow readers: dawnleaf1234, Blazeboss, InfernusXS, the honoured Guest, falconadventurer, nnnyeeees, and Dr Bound, enjoy this next chapter, with a delicious plate of croquembouche to go with it! This is a considerably long chapter, so savour it well.**

**nnnyeeees you greedy! You snuck a plate of croquembouche from the restaurant without asking! Oh well, have another!**

**And yes, the reviewers have the guess _spot on_. I mean, the guess was too obvious...**

**Oh, and to dawnleaf1234 and falconadventurer, I've never thought of those ideas! Thanks! Have an extra plate of croquembouche on me, and Cynthia.**

* * *

_**Chapter eight: From Auburn to Turquoise to Red**_

Of all people, of any individual in the _world_, and he had to come _here_, didn't he? Who better than… Wallace.

"This is a beautiful place you've chosen to set up shop, my friend," Wallace said cheerfully. "A first-class restaurant set against the ocean. That's perfect. I like it."

"Uncle? Who's that?" said the girl sitting with the man Steven was not so pleased to see. This girl somewhat resembled Wallace, mostly because of either the face or the hair (in Steven's opinion, it was _definitely_ the hair).

Clearly, Steven was not in the mood for greetings. If _he_ had come at another time, perhaps not during a wedding, and most certainly perhaps not when Cynthia was here, Steven would have been more adaptable.

"You should know who he is, Lisia," Wallace replied, although his eyes were still fixed on Steven's. "He's the one man in Hoenn who has captured the hearts of everything female, human and Pokémon alike, and never bothered to get a girlfriend or a partner –"

"_Hey_," Steven warned. "Wallace, I'm not ready yet. And what are you doing here?!"

The question was completely ignored, where Wallace turned away to look at his niece. "Lisia, this is Steven, the former Hoenn champion who held onto his crown for too long and had to retire! You see, don't try to be like him if you can help it. He retired while young. Anyway! Steven, this is my niece, Lisia. You might have heard of her."

Wallace looked straight into Steven's eyes with his own twinkling eyes. If Steven's eyes were as furious as all the Blast Burns in the world combined, they were met with the unstoppable icy but charming stare of Wallace's.

"You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling," he replied. "Don't worry. You were standing up there and… ooh-la-la! You were staring away at _someone_ for a while. Everyone knows!"

Steven was well aware that the eyes of half the tables around him had their ears close to listen to the conversation. However… this was awkward.

"You have an eye for a pretty girl, don't you now?" Wallace added, and before Steven could even think of a single reply, Wallace added, "Don't worry, don't worry, your secret will never be safe. After all, why not take a look at the magazine?"

Steven's eyes briefly darted to Wallace's niece, namely Lisia, and to his horror he saw her holding up the cover of the previous edition of the popular Kalos magazine. Yup. Apples and oranges.

"_This was supposed to be private…_" he mouthed. "I didn't know you had a niece."

"I can already imagine what this would be like!" Lisia said enthusiastically. "Come on, you! You're Steven, right? Let's begin the first chapter of your love story: I'm calling it, "Love at first sight!" Don't you see? You seem to have found a matching partner already –"

Steven cleared his throat, but not before briefly wearing an annoyed face.

"What you're saying rests on a false premise that I have any feelings for her, whoever she is," Steven tried to keep his voice cool. "You're only building your theory on gossip."

Lisia looked offended. Steven, though, was interrupted by a heavy, heavy, sigh from Wallace.

"Steven, my friend," he stood up and put an arm on Steven's shoulder (much to the latter's discomfort). "Like I said, you mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger! It's time you stop thinking like the logical businessman you were and embrace the big picture! You have a chance! A chance to repair your isolated life forever!"

It appeared that Steven wanted to disagree.

"It's not logic!" he said hotly. "It's the truth! Stop building lies –"

Wallace sighed again.

"Steven, you must think smoothly!" he insisted, though Steven felt like facepalming. "I thought working near the seaside would have been an improvement at last! But no, you still are refusing opportunities for love. I know you very well, Steven. Don't lie."

Steven shook his head. "I've been down that road before, Wallace, and I'm perfectly content living by myself for now. By the way, where's Winona? Is she with you?"

Wallace could detect the expression in Steven's eyes that betrayed his words. Nevertheless, he'll let it go for the time being.

However, it was Lisia who answered, "She's with us, but she wasn't invited to the wedding. Don't worry, she's staying with us at –"

Wallace clamped a hand over his niece's mouth. "Now, now, there's no need to rush into where we're staying. What matters is that you've found a partner, and I'll be here to help! By the way, this croquembouche is delicious. You're fortunate to have a prospective partner like her who could make simply the best food in the world!"

Steven covered his face with his hands. Why did _he_ have to mess up the situation, when it was already bad enough? Worse, he just had Wallace comment that the croquembouche was the best, so did that mean the other efforts had gone to waste?

"_Hey! Check it out! It's Lisia!_" someone in the crowd called.

Immediately, a lot of people gathered around Wallace's table to see the Contest idol. Lisia didn't seem surprised, and on the contrary welcomed the people to take pictures, or get her to sign autographs.

"Now, now, I didn't think that my popularity would go _this_ far into Kalos," she said. Nevertheless, she seemed very pleased to have fans all the way here, and even though this was a wedding reception. How coincidental.

Wallace, on the other hand, took advantage of the distraction to pull away from the table. Unbeknownst to Steven, Lisia was watching – at least until Wallace said, "We'll be back. We don't want to distract you from your fans."

He dragged Steven with him – to Steven's reluctant horror – straight to Cynthia's table. On the way there, Steven eyed Cynthia's Garchomp happily – but slowly – eating away at the delicious cheeses leftover from the cheese course. At the same time, Cynthia was enjoying a small dish of croquembouche with a coffee, never mind how attractive she looked with the curled hair and business suit.

_No. No. NO!_ Steven thought.

Quickly as he could, Steven broke away from Wallace's iron grasp and darted away from the route. There was not a single place that was safe now. No thanks to Wallace reminding him that he (Steven) had made the front cover of the popular Kalos magazine, everyone was bound to be suspicious. Oh wait, they had seen him and Cynthia pose together with the wedding couple. Now everyone was bound to know what was going on.

It felt like the world was crumbling around Steven, or at least in his world. Like the previous time, he ran away to the stairs and would – within seconds – be back in the sanctuary of his kitchen.

Or so it would have been, had not Martine Grenadine been standing in the way blocking the stairs. As she was holding a tray of drinks, Steven immediately halted so as to not crash into her.

"Hey boss, going back already?" she said smartly.

Steven did not answer, but he stood aside to let his employee walk by. The latter eyed Steven suspiciously, but she went on walking, and began to serve the drinks to the respective guests. Steven stayed where he was for a few seconds before he quietly retreating to his office.

However, before he could even _think_ about heading to his office, he felt a firm hand grasp the collar of his chef jacket from behind and pull him back into the banquet.

"Now, now, we don't want you to be missing out, my friend," he heard Wallace say in a light, amused, tone. "It's a wedding! This is the time to socialise! Not locking yourself away from the party! Come _on_, it's like you haven't changed since Hoenn."

Steven grumbled. "Maybe I like it that way for now. Anyway, Wallace, how are you even here?!"

Wallace ended up pushing Steven back into the banquet floor, never mind catching the eyes of some guests, before saying, "My niece Lisia is a close friend of the bride's cousin. Since they found out she was related to me, they couldn't resist the opportunity to invite me as well!"

"But enough about me," Wallace grinned, his smiling such that it could rival an Aipom's, "let's introduce you to your future partner, who will bring joy into your life –"

Steven struggled to free himself from Wallace's surprisingly powerful grasp. Had Brawley been teaching Wallace resistance training? There was no way Wallace had such strength the last time Steven saw him. Ironically, the more Steven struggled, the faster Wallace could drag him to _her_.

"She's my business rival!" Steven hissed.

"She was also a fellow Champion," Wallace said casually, as he kept dragging Steven closer to _her_. "Come on! Be a man! You never know if she'll be your partner, but I'm staking my Milotic on it that she will. On the other hand, that was good food you make, Steven. Why couldn't you have told us about this sooner?"

Steven shot Wallace a death glare, but Wallace ignored him.

"_Us_?" Steven's voice was one of surprise and shock.

"Yes! I mean, there's me, Lisia, and Winona. We're all rooting for you!" Wallace said, proudly. He looked to his niece, who was still busy signing autographs and taking pictures. "Although I admit, bringing my superstar niece might have overdone it, but no matter. She _knows_ how to make stories, my friend. She _knows_."

* * *

Elsewhere, but not too far away, Martine was serving a round of smoothies to her table, at the request of the renowned Contest idol. Even Martine knew who she was: none other than Lisia. Lo and behold!

Lisia alone was not sitting, but had to satisfy a lot of fans' needs for memorabilia and autographs. In fact, Martine had no way to serve Lisia's smoothie without pushing away at the fans, and there were too many fans crowding around Lisia.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" Martine demanded, using one hand to hold the tray of glasses and the other trying to push the fans away. At first they didn't get the message, but soon they let Martine through to serve Lisia the smoothie – a blend of Lum and Kelpsey berries. Lisia took the glass, thanked Martine, and sat down on her seat.

Moments later, some agents – personal staff, from the looks of it – began clearing the fans away, and the fans respectfully fell back to their tables. Martine meanwhile started clearing the finished dishes of croquembouche away.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" she asked her table.

"The dessert was fabulous!" Lisia was first to answer. "By the way, have you seen that Steven of yours? I need to give my compliments to him! Besides, I wonder if he could find a girlfriend!"

That. That was it.

"We need to talk," Martine said to Lisia, whilst extending a hand to her and sitting down at the vacant seat (which, incidentally, was Wallace's). "My name's Martine. You're Lisia, right?"

"You bet," Lisia replied, happily. "Okay, Martine, what is it you want to talk about?"

Before Martine answered, she waved to one of her fellow co-workers for a glass of water with a slice of lemon.

* * *

"Cynthia! How wonderful it is to see you here!" Wallace greeted her, with nothing held back as he released Steven from his iron grasp. Steven, not wanting to embarrass himself as he was in the midst of the guests _again_ stood where he was. "Your presence here is much admirable, and especially after that dessert you have made –"

Cynthia held up a hand, while Garchomp looked up from her plate of croquembouche and eyed Wallace and Steven suspiciously.

"I understand, Wallace," Cynthia said, and flashing that unique smile that captivated so many…

Steven grimaced.

Wallace bent down on one knee, took Cynthia's wrist, and kissed it. "Now, now, my dear, you flatter me. Such a ridiculous imitation, your smile is, but mistaken… You have a smile that's enough to capture my heart. If only I had a way of capturing yours…"

Cynthia smiled, but Steven stared at the scene with shocked eyes. Cynthia didn't notice this, but Wallace certainly did. Well, it was part of his plan to have a little fun with Steven, after all.

Nevertheless, Steven regained his composure, and said, "You seem to be making a scene, Wallace. Don't you think you're embarrassing yourself a little bit here, in a wedding? You look like – you look like you're trying to propose to her. Don't – don't forget Winona's here!"

Wallace stood up. He clapped a hand on Steven's shoulder. "Now, now, I'm only greeting Cynthia as an old friend. There's nothing personal about it, you know. But hey, your cheeks and ears were red as a Moltres' wings."

Steven swallowed, but he retaliated quietly, "Don't say that! I've nothing personal either!"

Wallace grinned. He turned back to face Cynthia again, "But as Steven said, yes, you _could_ say I'm in a relationship with my fellow Gym Leader, but that's another story."

She picked up her coffee to sip it, like she was accepting the message in the acceptable manner. Steven had to admit, though, that her curled hair certainly complemented the environment, as well as her striking beauty –

"Boss! Boss! Check it out! Ooh… what are you doing?"

What better time than to have Martine Grenadine show up in _this_ conversation? Not the best, let alone poorly timed.

"I – Martine!" Steven stared at his employee, as if he saw her for the first time. "What did you do to your hair?! You're supposed to be working!"

Martine grinned. There was really nothing special she did to her hair, except for the fact that she changed her hair colour from auburn to red. Granted, for a 19-year old, she would look pleasantly attractive with red hair, but still.

"Business is slow, boss," Martine said in her defence. "I thought – well – my _new friend_ though I would look better with red hair, and she noticed our staff weren't doing much either except serving drinks."

Oh, wait, was that _Lisia_ who was standing with her? How much _worse_ could it get, than to have the very two people who were nosing into _his_ personal life? Well, Wallace didn't count.

"Anyway!" Martine continued. "What are you doing, boss?"

"And uncle, what are you doing?" Lisia added.

Wallace beat Steven to the response. "My dear children, I'm helping out a certain someone's love life in an hour of need. This is none of your business, of course, but you're free to intervene."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "You're just as paranoid as always, Wallace. I'm perfectly capable on working my love life on my own, and that won't come anytime soon."

Wallace stood up whilst releasing Cynthia's hand. "I'll admit that that was the best dessert I have ever eaten in my life. How you managed to do it in such a small timeframe is beyond me, and how you could do it as a former Champion makes me flattered."

Cynthia smiled. "You make me blush, Wallace!"

Martine and Lisia looked at each other briefly before flashing smiles and they looked at Steven, the head chef. Clearly, he kept his gaze away from the scene, and his ears went pink. Wait, was that hard breathing Martine and Lisia were hearing?

"Indeed…" Steven muttered under his breath.

"Hey, Martine," Wallace then turned his attention to his red-haired waitress. "This calls for a toast between friends. Two glasses of that delicious Kalos champagne, please? I'm sure your rich establishment is perfectly suited for tonight –"

Steven quickly covered Wallace's mouth with his hand before he could speak any further. Martine shrugged, but nodded, and went off to retrieve what Wallace had ordered.

"Er… how's business at your end, Cynthia?" he casually asked, however awkward as it may be. Steven was glad that Martine was well away from this question, but then again, it didn't help that Lisia was standing before him, and listening in.

Wallace's eyes narrowed, and he fruitlessly tried to pry Steven's hand off his mouth, but the hand was stuck on like glue. It appeared Steven was effortless at managing this, but that was false.

Lisia, though, noticed. Grinning, she posed, and pointed in Wallace's face. "Is there something you want to say, uncle?"

Then, before Steven could react or register what happened before him, Lisia helped her uncle pry Steven's hand off his mouth. Now, with Lisia playfully holding Steven's wrist at her side, Wallace was free to speak.

"Business? Is that really the best you could do, Steven?" Wallace, from the looks of it, was close to laughing. "For one like Cynthia, I think you'd be better off talking about food and life. You know, I was more like thinking of asking about her _personal_ life…"

Steven could detect the glint in Wallace's eyes directed at _him_, but Lisia prevented Steven from fleeing by tightening her iron grip on Steven's wrist. It hurt.

"Come on, Steven," Lisia whispered. "This is part of the first chapter of your love story! 'Love at First Sight', remember? It's a wedding! Get to know your potential candidate, for once. You'll understand."

Now, Steven was almost, almost, beside himself.

"No, no, no! I won't have this!" he hissed back to Lisia, so that neither Cynthia nor Wallace could hear. "I – I'm part of no love story! It's not like there's some author working away at his computer and deciding what my love life will look like. I'm not yielding to your dark predictions, Lisia. Also, this author at the computer doesn't control who I love, and now is not the time for a relationship!"

Lisia rolled her eyes.

"Okay, then has there been _anyone_ on your mind?" she asked. "I think my uncle Wallace mentioned you are 25-years old, right? You're still young, but marriage is near, now. Pretty soon, you're going to be 30, and Cynthia here is about your age –"

"Lisia," Steven said abruptly and sharply. "How old are you?"

Now _this_ earned a laugh from Cynthia. How Steven wished this conversation wasn't so _awkward_ already, as he was aware that Wallace was listening in. Why would Lisia be asking about marriage when he alone hadn't had time to consider a relationship? Business, after all, was important. He needed to ensure the survivability of the business before thinking about finding a partner.

The point was that Cynthia's business _threatened_ the survivability of his business. If he didn't get competitive, he would have to lay off workers. Cynthia was the last person he would consider a partner, as she was the very reason his job, and his business, was under threat of exiting the restaurant market!

And besides, since when did he have to be the one answering questions? Cynthia was supposed to answer, right?

"That, Steven, is something the fans already know," Lisia replied. "If you're concerned, just go ahead and ask them!"

Wallace figured that was a waste of time, in his opinion, so instead he cleared his throat to get Steven's attention.

"Now then, it is time I begin to formally introduce you to each other!" Wallace said overexcitedly. "Since the wedding couple has informally introduced you just now –"

"Didn't we just talk to each other?" Steven raised his eyebrows. "You're becoming more forgetful day after day, Wallace."

However, after Steven had said this, he felt a chill down his spine and could feel the presence of someone in his midst. Well, lo and behold, Martine Grenadine had returned with not two, but _three_ glasses of champagne in her hands. This was more than Wallace had asked for!

Before Steven's eyes, Martine distributed one glass to Wallace, and another to Cynthia.

The third…

"Martine," Steven raised his eyebrows. "I distinctly heard Wallace asking you for two glasses."

"You don't want it, boss?" Martine slightly swirled the glass in front of Steven's eyes. "Come on, now! At least be the host you are for tonight! You can take it personally, if you want, but remember! The more you hate –"

Steven snatched the glass out of annoyance, and it was enough to make Martine happily silent. Wallace seemed very close to laughing, but all the same pleased, and Cynthia figured something about Steven was odd. Oh well.

"You seem to be a little jumpy tonight, Steven," Cynthia muttered. "Is something the matter?"

Being addressed by Cynthia wasn't what Steven had expected in his current state of mind, so he had no idea how to reply immediately. So instead, Wallace spoke in place of Steven's silence.

"Alright, my friends!" he held up his glass between the two former Champions. "Let me propose a toast to the two of you. To your success, and to your promising relationship! Here's to the success of both worlds!"

Steven glared at Wallace for what felt like the tenth time. _What – the – what? I'm not toasting to this!_

Nevertheless, he saw Cynthia stand up and heard the _clink_ of her glass against Wallace's, and then the two of them held their glasses to Steven. Submitting to peer pressure just this once, Steven joined the toast, but very, very, reluctantly.

"Cheers," he said.

The champagne tasted unusually bitter this time when he held the glass up to his lips. Meanwhile, Cynthia appeared to be drinking the champagne indifferently, whereas Wallace happily downed the whole glass. There wasn't a lot of champagne in the glass, after all.

Between Lisia and Martine, it was an amusing scene to behold from the not-so-long distance.

"Do you think they're made for each other?" asked the older red-haired waitress.

"You bet," said the younger turquoise-haired Contest idol.

They gave each other looks of parallel surprise, and then the two broke down into fits of laughter.

"Anyway!" they heard Cynthia say to Steven. "Going back to your question, Steven, I'll say that business is very good. I'm slowly getting better profits with every passing day. It's only a matter of time before I can expand, and I'll have enough extra supplies to invite you more vouchers to dinner! I even had a critic who dropped by as I was making the croquembouche this morning."

Steven was about to reply at the mention of a critic, but he was uncomfortably interrupted by a mischievous smile from Wallace's direction directed at _him_. In a matter of seconds, Wallace took hold of Steven's jacket collar and pulled him aside, and this provoked both Martine and Lisia to listen in at their discretion.

"She gave you _vouchers_?" Wallace said in surprise, as if the entire thing was a revelation to him, if not the relationship. "That's… perfect! That clearly displays the affection she shows for you. You won't be young for too long, my friend! Very soon, the two of you will be married when –"

"No! It's not like that!" Steven protested. "I don't have time to pursue a relationship!"

Wait… Didn't he have this conversation before?

"Well said, uncle!" Lisia added in, and striking another attractive pose.

Oh. Right. The conversation was with her.

"Don't be too caught up in your business world, Steven," Wallace playfully warned. "Business is one thing, but a relationship is another. Haven't you even bothered to pick up that article of apples and oranges? That's the way to go."

"Yeah, you ought to listen to the advice of your best friend, boss! He's your best friend, right?" Martine added in, and was rewarded with the most awkward glare she had ever seen from her boss. Normally, the glare usually contained traces of fury, but this time the glare was painted with embarrassment and awkwardness alone.

He struggled to find what words to say. His heart was beating fast. He could feel a heartbeat pulsing from within his temple. His hands were shaking.

"Uh… Martine, come see me at my office. Now," he said.

Steven felt a hand gently hit his cheek, and realised it was Lisia who had done it. On instinct, he saw this as an act of aggression and responded by readying to slap Lisia back. However, Martine intervened by restraining Steven's arm.

"No! This is a wedding, Steven!" Martine reminded. "At least _try_ to be a host, yeah? Don't forget that Cynthia is still sitting right over there, and don't embarrass yourself!"

Lisia smiled at Steven in a way that was so identical to Wallace's, that Steven felt badly embarrassed, as if he had embarrassed himself in front of Wallace already. Well, there was always the splitting image of Wallace who was actually smiling in the same way.

Cynthia shook her head, and continued to sip more coffee in a dignified manner. Every time she did this, though, Steven found that it perfectly complemented that business attire she wore. Perhaps, then, that would explain why he asked himself he even _thought_ that way. Was it the hair?

"You have a very fine young woman here to keep you in check, my friend," Wallace said to Steven, even though he was partially ignored. "Martine, do me a favour and give me that glass of champagne, if Steven's not having it."

But Martine was in the middle of examining her boss, and being the one employee closest to Steven, apart from James d'Arc, she could kind of tell what sort of emotions were showing on his face. After a pause, she acknowledged the order and gave Wallace the half-finished glass of champagne that was supposed to be Steven's. Wallace, of course, finished the glass.

Cynthia turned her attention to the view of the ocean. In her opinion, the clear night sky hovering above with the waters mirroring its stars was _perfect_ for a wedding occasion like this. Garchomp, meanwhile, helped herself to another plate of croquembouche. Dazzled by the view, Cynthia was in no mood to talk. Wanting to ignore the world a little, she watched the view in peace.

At least until she felt Lisia tap her shoulder.

"Hey, Cynthia," she said.

"Oh…" Cynthia stared off for a bit before returning her gaze. "Lisia, right?"

Lisia ended up taking the seat opposite Cynthia (much to Garchomp's suspicion). With a glass of water in hand (courtesy of Martine Grenadine), she engaged in a small conversation with the former Sinnoh champ. Even Martine joined to listen in in the conversation with a glass of crushed Nomel berry and lime juice, with ice.

"Yeah, you got it!" Lisia replied, before looking to Martine by her side. "Now, to be polite, this is Martine, my server."

"We've met," Cynthia cut in, before Lisia could go any further, and held her coffee to her lips. In response, Lisia looked pleased as punch.

"That's… that's great! Then we can talk!" Lisia said, and then she leaned in closer on the table. "So… Cynthia, how's looking for a partner going? Did anyone come here with you? Or are you on your own? Any dates with anyone?"

Cynthia accidentally choked on her coffee, and some coffee splashed on her cheeks, but fortunately not on her business suit. Garchomp, alert, stared at Lisia, but Lisia released her Altaria in response. ("Suppose you can talk with Garchomp a bit, Ali," she said).

"Wait, what?" she replied, as she held a napkin to clean her face and set down the cup. "Slow down, Lisia. Let's talk one thing at a time. For one thing, I have _thought_ about looking for a partner, but I think I still have time, and there are… (she paused) a handsome few I can think of, but they're either… I don't know, I can't think right now. On the other hand, I haven't dated anyone lately, and I'm on my own here in Cyllage City."

Martine added, "It's true. Steven and I were there when she first arrived to set up shop in the restaurant across, and boy, she is driving up the competition in the price market around."

Lisia looked confused, as if she hadn't made sense of what Martine had said. Cynthia, though, understood well.

"I wouldn't think of you as an economist, Martine," she said, half-amused. "But enough about business for now, as I'm sure Lisia here has no idea what we're talking about."

"You got that right," Lisia affirmed. She sipped her glass of water and set it down. "By the way, from what you said about 'a handsome few', who were you referring to?" (By saying this, Martine became keenly interested and carefully watched Cynthia's expressions.)

Cynthia was taken aback. Surely she wasn't expecting to be pushed this far! Still, she answered appropriately, anyway. "Oh, well… special people. If you've ever read the magazines, which I assure you are partly true but mostly false, I have certain tastes for people."

Lisia blinked.

_She said a lot, but all she really told us was almost nothing useful_, Martine thought, and then said, "Have you ever thought of… my boss? He's likeable, right? And he seems to suit your type. He wants to be your future partner, I'm sure of it!"

Cynthia shook her head.

"Him? I don't think so. Steven's been acting jumpy these days."

Martine and Lisia were just about to continue when they were rudely interrupted by Wallace, who kneeled down with his arms on the table, and effectively covering most of the space.

"I got a call from Winona," Wallace said, urgently. "It seems that she's upset at how late we're staying here, and will you look at the time. She says if we don't head back, she'll leave for Fortree City right away!"

Now this brought about some laughs from Cynthia.

"Winona? You're still trying to go after her after so many months, or maybe years, if you will!" she mocked. After seeing the fallen look on Wallace's face (which actually surprised Cynthia, as she only knew him as the flamboyant one), she added, "Sometimes, love hurts!"

Even Lisia found it funny to see her uncle, the usually flamboyant one, to be humbled so quickly at the mention of Winona. Not even Steven, judging from his personality, would have had the guts to use Winona this way.

"Er…" Wallace started. "Lisia, we have to go. Don't worry, Steven my friend. I'll be back tomorrow to help you!"

Lisia stood up to gather her belongings, but not before exchanging contact information with Martine (at their discretion so that Steven wouldn't notice). After that, Lisia was on her way to her uncle's side.

"We can talk over coffee sometime, yeah?" Lisia offered.

"Sounds like a plan," Martine nodded. "Good night."

In minutes, Lisia and her Altaria followed Wallace out of the premises. To Steven this should have been a relief, but however the one person who didn't leave yet was _her_. Even though the reception was still going on well into the night, and Garchomp was helping herself to more cheese, Cynthia might have been one to have outstayed her welcome.

So, for that reason, she stood up and walked over to Steven, whilst putting her jacket over her shoulders. Facing just a foot away from him, she said, "Thank you for the meal."

Steven didn't know how to respond at first, thus freezing for a moment, before politely replying, "You're welcome."

So then Cynthia walked by Steven, with her beautifully curled platinum-blond hair brushing past, and headed for the stairs that led outside. Garchomp helped herself to just one more plate of croquembouche, however, before she left.

At the same time, Steven saw to many guests taking their pictures with the wedding couple, except for a handful of tables who still wanted photos taken with the scenic ocean view behind. Well, that was what made the Stone Bistro popular. Servers cleaned the remainder of plates and wiped the tables clean. The wedding couple, apparently, were preoccupied with their friends and family. The music soundtrack, controlled by hired audio technicians, began playing in the air.

That left Martine.

Steven went looking around the floor for her, but then he remembered that Martine had changed her hair colour from auburn to red. No wonder it was so difficult to find her when he did. Indeed, she was standing by the stairs and waiting.

In Martine's hand was a plate of croquembouche. Seriously, Cynthia had made way too much to go around.

"Well, it's a good night for everyone," Martine commented. "Now, boss, you said I had to meet you in your office, right? I'm waiting right here."

The furious glint in Steven's eye met Martine's delighted smile.

"If it wasn't a wedding occasion tonight, I would have deducted half of your paycheque away," he grumbled.

"Aw, come on, boss! It's a wedding!" Martine whined. "You should at least have _some_ fun while you're here! It you're not mining for stones or looking for rocks for your museum, or if you're not cooking, then you should live up a bit!"

Steven shook his head. "You know, Martine, that that is not my style. A relationship can wait, and it is most certainly not with _her_."

Martine blinked.

"You were staring at her awkward like a lovesick Politoed! Come on! The magazine, the wedding couple, and even – I dare to say – James has figured it out! Why can't you!" she cried. "Deduct my paycheque all you want, but that won't stop you from loving her! Just listen to Wallace!"

Steven sighed deeply.

"I do _not_ love _her_!" he said, such that it caught the attention of some of his staff passing by. "Martine, starting tomorrow, I'll prove it to you!"

* * *

**So now the now-red-haired Martine is now friends with Lisia.**

**To any reviewers, a cup of coffee or tea will be served to bring the reception to a closure.**


	9. First Pick of the Day

**Jackque, TheGhostShadow, and falconadventurer. Please enjoy a nice cup of tea!**

**For you, Jackque, here's a steaming hot Pecha berry tea! So you did notice the fourth wall broken. That's expected! You say Steven's living in denial. Well, he'll prove you wrong!**

**Even though I have had time on my hands, I've mostly spent it being lazy. Forgive me! I'm taking a summer university course, but it's just one. I just hope there'll be more time to write...**

* * *

_**Chapter nine: First Pick of the Day**_

"_The only way to get the best produce is to have first pick of the day. And there are only two way[s] to get first pick: grow it yourself, or bribe a grower… Voila! The best restaurant get first pick!_"

– Colette, Ratatouille

* * *

In the following morning, the bakery that the Stone Restaurant and Bistro had been working on had been finished overnight. It became apparent that after this, with the high demand of bread in the area, business was sure to rocket.

In his office, Steven Stone was busy working away on papers and handling new applications and résumés for prospective bakery staff. The payment received after the events of the wedding reception had really helped, and Steven used it to purchase capital equipment for the bakery. That is, lots of custom-ordered ovens, in addition to cash tills. Now that he wasn't working, Steven opted to wear one of his neat suits, with a red tie.

He heard knocking on the door.

"Come in," Steven said, without looking up.

James d'Arc walked into the room.

"Steven. The first shipment of recipes and supplies are due to arrive in an hour," James reported. "And… Martine's been complaining you've been going too hard on her, and she's been appealing to the others for help. Even me."

Steven still did not look up nor did he reply immediately, but he focused on reading the applications. James, being patient, took the seat on the other side of Steven's desk. Finally, Steven put down the application, filed it away, and faced James.

"I'll see to her, then. In the meantime, I'd like you to do the honour of opening the Stone Bakery. As the name suggests, we really do bake bread on stones," Steven instructed.

"_Oui_ chef," James said. He got up, and before closing the door said, "Martine's on her way to work, should you know."

Actually, Steven had no intention of seeing Martine at all. However, as the lobby was just outside his office anyway, he would go to see her while he was at it. Honestly, if it were him, he would have fired her if he could. But he had no grounds to fire her, other than her impeding his personal life, which was a private and ridiculous reason.

Steven made his way across the lobby in the Stone Bakery's direction, but on his way there he saw Martine just arriving at the front doors of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. He would have ignored her, were it not for what she was carrying into the restaurant.

A Watmel berry.

A very large Watmel berry.

A very, very, large Watmel berry that Martine was carrying into the restaurant with two hands.

Not to mention she was eating pieces of the soft, delicious, berry on her way in. Some berry juice burst out when Martine broke off a piece of it. However, it was huge, and Steven would wonder how she could ever finish it.

"What – are you doing – with that?" Steven asked in a partly broken voice. "Where did you get that?"

She seemed pleased that her boss's attention was drawn to the massive berry. After she swallowed the piece she was chewing on, Martine answered, "I'm eating this berry, obviously. It's really, really, sweet! Want a piece?"

Steven blinked, but shrugged.

Martine tore off a piece, and following this was a small spray of Watmel juice that got onto the sleeve of Steven's suit. Ignoring the offended stare she was getting, which she was used to, Martine held the berry piece close to Steven's hand, which Steven subsequently took and ate.

"So, boss, what have you done to prove so far?" she asked.

"Er…" Steven muttered.

From this, Martine could tell that Steven had planned absolutely nothing. She tore off another piece of Watmel berry and popped it in her mouth. Steven was partly annoyed by this, and he became distracted from his train of thought.

"Aha, so you haven't thought of anything!" the red-haired waitress remarked. "Don't worry, boss. This happens when you can't bear to harm the people you love. Especially when you just can't bring yourself to admit you love her. Anyway, as per your question about where I got it, I got it from Vue sur la Lune."

She just _loved_ the reaction her boss was giving her. He was annoyed, frustrated, and lost; but above all, hurt.

However, in the middle of the suspense, Martine did see something flicker in Steven's eyes. Oh, had he thought of something already? This ought to get interesting.

"Martine… I'm docking a tenth of your paycheque into the restaurant's profits," Steven said. "Of course, I'll be generous and leave your pay from last night's income alone."

Martine continued munching on the Watmel berry as she left her boss alone. However, she just had to shed a tear at the penalty Steven was giving her. By the time she had gotten upstairs, she still had the unfinished Watmel berry in her hands. It was far too big to finish.

However, the presence of the berry had attracted the attention of the staff around her. The distinct aroma the berry was giving off had indeed made most of the serving staff ask Martine for a piece of the berry, and Martine gladly obliged. Within minutes, almost everyone was savouring a piece of the Watmel berry.

However, everyone was partly concerned for Martine, as she had some tears flowing from her eyes. Nevertheless, they left that alone and went to work. If anything, they suspected it was the Watmel berry.

Elsewhere, Steven went on his way to oversee the opening of the Stone Bakery. As expected, there was a considerable number of people who were seated inside the establishment, and a smaller number lining up at the till and ordering baked goods.

The smell of freshly baked bread wafted in the air… deliciously. Traditional loaves of Kalos-style bread were first on the line, followed by many, many, other crisp breads that were inspired by recipes abroad. Why, if breads weren't enough, James took the honour of baking the first round of _pastries_ and _tarts_ for the customers. That aside, the bestseller of the day was soft bread made with honey, which Steven had brought directly from Hoenn – it was called a Slateport cake. To the many Kalosians who had never tried a Slateport cake, it soon became extremely popular.

Business, it seemed, was picking up. If all was well, this bakery business would make up for Steven's revenue losses in the long-run. He might be able to defeat Cynthia with this!

* * *

What Steven hadn't counted on was that customers were buying bread from his bakery and taking it outside to eat. It would have been fine to eat inside, but there was another reason people chose to do so.

The customers who bought bread from the Stone Bakery would take it to a certain plaza at the end of the road not too far from the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. To Steven, unbeknownst of this, this would be perfectly normal, if not for the fact that those same customers ended up crossing the street to the other side to buy coffee from Vue sur la Lune's café.

Subsequently, people enjoyed the best of both worlds in this square plaza at the end of the road. Dozens of people did this routine, not to mention. It was only a matter of time before the plaza became as popular as the Slateport cake, no less.

The news soon reached Steven's ears about this routine in the next hour, when James became suspicious of how many people were bringing the bread out of the bakery and heading in the same direction. Sure enough, James found the customers enjoying baked goods from the Stone and coffee from Vue sur la Lune.

Steven's reaction was not encouraging.

"So we ended up helping Cynthia's business, in the end," Steven muttered.

"Hey, at least you _are_ helping a certain someone, eh?" James said. This comment forced Steven to give James a _look_, but James shrugged. James washed his hands and then went on continuing making and kneading dough to bake, and would later come out of the stone oven as bread.

There were more newly hired employees to help out with the bakery, true, but James had taken the action of diverting some staff and resources from the floor above to help the new employees get used to the environment. The restaurant staff had experience dealing with customers, and the newly hired had experience working with bakeries. Together, they would prove to be more efficient, and effectively productive.

And with efficient productivity allowed Steven to maximise profits for his restaurant, which was his long-run plan all along. That would show Martine – and Wallace – he was being serious!

There were still a lot of customers who were curious of the new establishment at the Stone Bistro, and when more poured into the space to the smell of delicious bread, Steven acknowledged that at least half the customers were holding coffee cups from Vue sur la Lune. Well, he supposed he was partly successful at maximising profits, but he suspected still that his bakery may be a catalyst to ramping up Cynthia's profits too.

"Keep up the good work," he complemented his staff.

"_Oui_, chef!" they replied.

* * *

Back in his office, Steven spent half an hour considering that if the bakery was to survive, there would have to be more goods for sale. If there was something that could satisfy a local here, it would be pie. Or as the locals would call it, _la tarte_.

With a cup of coffee, he paced back and forth contemplating such a decision. The bakery was new, so why not add a few more options?

So what he did was sit behind his desk, took a pen and paper, and starting drafting a recipe. Desserts were never his specialty, ever, as the critics in Lumiose City had constantly told him. But if it came to _baked_ goods regarding bread and pie, who were they to judge, when it was potentially one of his specialties? There needed to be classic ingredients for pie, of course, but when it came to the sweet stuff – there needed to be a delicious base. Something sweet…

Come to that, something did smell sweet in the room.

_That smells… like… fruit?_ Steven thought. The scent made his mouth water just a bit.

Steven moved his head to look around for it, and then realised that the sweet smell was coming from the Watmel berry stain that Martine had left on his sleeve in the morning. Ah yes. Right there. That was the solution.

_If I'm going to have to compete, I'll have to get the best fruit for the pie_, he thought. The best fruit, albeit produce, would have to come straight from the supplier. Sure, Steven had a top-class supplier for his restaurant already, and the supplier gave the best ingredients for the uniquely sweet Slateport cake, but when it came to sweet things – perhaps, he hated to admit it, Cynthia's was better.

Then Steven had an idea. A business-inspired idea.

* * *

No one had any idea who the businessman was when he walked out of the newly opened Stone Bakery, but he was just a stranger like anyone in Cyllage City. He wore a charcoal gray suit with some purple patterns, with a bright red tie. He had steel-blue hair and was wearing sunglasses.

At least, no one had any idea at first, but they barely noticed him, because all he did was walk across the street to the opposing restaurant. On his way there, he glimpsed the square plaza at the end of the road his sous had told him about, where people and patrons of both Vue sur la Lune and the Stone Bakery were enjoying coffee and Slateport cakes on its stone benches.

He edged closer to Vue sur la Lune, and instead of taking the main entrance, he went around to the side. There, he found a small group of men unloading fresh supplies of fruit from a moving truck for Vue sur la Lune. Cases and cases of berries, greens, and fruits piled on top of each other ready to be loaded into the restaurant.

Upon approached the workers, the businessman readied his wallet.

"What do you want, _monsieur_?" one of the workers asked the businessman.

"I would like to know about your supplier for these foods," he replied. "Are these foods fresh?"

"_Oui, monsieur_," the worker answered. "Best in the area, and operated by one of the freshest and sweetest produce suppliers in Kalos."

The businessman's eyes flickered behind his sunglasses. He examined the fruits and berries positioned before him, and in his mind he overturned a dozen possibilities for picking out the fruits and berries he wanted, considering and eliminating each choice for every half-second that passed. He needed the right produce for what he had in mind. His business would depend on it, too.

"I need you to deliver these…" he pointed to a few cases of Leppa, Bluk, Custap berries, "over to the restaurant across. Be discreet. If you have fresh apples, I could use those too."

The worker turned a blind eye and received a money note from the businessman. After, he ordered some of his workers to transport a several cases of produce to the restaurant across. The businessman, done with his worker, silently walked across the street to the Stone Bakery – and discreetly followed the workers transporting cases of fresh produce with many Sawk to help them. Clearly, the Sawk were employed just like the workers.

However, this did not go unnoticed, for there was a certain turquoise-haired duo who observed the scene as they were passing by.

* * *

"Steven! Where did all this come from?!" James exclaimed. Never, in his career as a sous chef, had he seen so many supplies come into the restaurant at once. Even at the time the Stone Restaurant and Bistro first opened, the supplies had come in slowly and in an orderly fashion by their supplier. To see so many Sawk simply walk into the new bakery with fresh supplies was unexpected, and probably unconventional.

Steven, ignoring James at the moment, directed the workers where to unload supplies. After the cases had been placed and refrigerated appropriately, he dismissed them, and motioned the employees to work. Steven faced James afterward.

"I got this from an undisclosed supplier," he said. "I assure you, it's not from the black market, but rather from a very good supplier, I hope. Still, I'll have uses for this, I'm sure."

James blinked, but he silently went over to one of the cases to check out what exactly had come in. Produce, from the looks of it, and judging by the colours and smells of it, they were wonderfully fresh fruit and berries. Perhaps the bakery could have uses for it? They did seem to be very pleasant to the eye. He supposed Steven must have had his reasons for buying them in the first place. Otherwise, why would he buy a whole lot of them?

"I'll be in my office," Steven told him.

To pass the time, James continued to help the bakery staff roll up more dough and bake bread. There were still a considerable number of customers flowing in, so he had a part to maintain the bakery's upkeep, as sous.

By the time James had started baking the fifth tray of bread, Steven had returned to the bakery. This time, had had a paper in hand, and went into the massive refrigerator to re-inspect the ingredients brought in, and subsequently bringing some out to the counter outside.

"We'll making pie and adding it to our menu!" he announced. "Here's to its success! We'll start with Leppa berry pies, and Bluk berry pies!"

* * *

Across the street, things were _not_ going so well. Cynthia had been expecting a huge shipment of fruit and supplies for her dessert menu, but her supplier had come to her with bad news. Much to her grief.

"I'm sorry, miss, but we're running a short supply today," the head worker told her. "We've completely exhausted our supplies of Leppa, Custap, and Bluk berries and I can only spare… whatever else you ordered here. Perhaps there will be more supply next week."

Cynthia wasn't having any of this at first, but she took the remainder of stock she ordered into her restaurant's inventories. How was it possible that a huge chunk of her order could have just been in short supply? Only just the previous week, her supplier had proven reliable, so how could it have been possible for short supply to appear at a season like this?

Back in the restaurant, Cynthia was forced to temporarily raise the prices of her desserts. The cheesecake with Custap berry drizzle, for example, had its price raised to cover the costs Cynthia faced. The Unovan cheesecake recipe, which was made of fine ingredients and was a recent addition to her menu, also had its price raised by almost triple. Things were looking bleak.

As expected in the next hour, few people even wanted Cynthia's desserts. They were so expensive!

It didn't help that a certain _someone_ had stopped by to see her restaurant. That someone was Wallace. His niece Lisia joined alongside him, and… Winona. Well! That was some relief to

"My dear, Cynthia!" he greeted. "How's business?"

Winona slapped him.

"OW!" Wallace cried. "What was that for?!"

"Just look at her, Wallace!" Winona shouted, and then used the hand that slapped Wallace to point at Cynthia's face. "She doesn't look too well!"

However, this didn't stop Lisia from laughing, and laughing out loud. This forced the former champ, the current champ, and the Gym Leader to look at her.

"Don't be so surprised, uncle!" Lisia said between laughs. "Sometimes, love hurts!"

Wallace continued rubbing the spot where Winona had slapped him, although it was seriously red. Lisia deduced that it was either from the pain… or that he was blushing. Wow, was it ever so easy to humble her uncle. It was, perhaps, something she had inherited in her family line.

"Anyway," Winona continued, "you seriously don't look that good, Cynthia. What's going on?"

Cynthia explained how an inconvenience occurred with her supplier, that her usual stock of berries and fruit had mysteriously – according to the supplier – been short. As a result, prices were forced upward on her part, and there were less customers showing up to her restaurant.

On the other hand, Cynthia was happy to tell Winona that her café had experienced an intense fluctuation of business. Coffee was selling out faster than her usual dessert items, for some reason.

"Haven't you heard, Cynthia?" Lisia interrupted. "Steven opened a bakery this morning. The way I see it, people have been buying bread and coffee all day. Bread comes from Steven's bakery, and coffee comes from your café. You'd be amazed at how popular this is. It's like Steven's trying to help you!"

Cynthia brushed a lock of platinum blond hair behind her ear, with her ears a little pink. "I really don't think so, Lisia. That's not how the world works. Okay, well, I wouldn't mind him helping me out a bit… That would be very nice of him."

Wallace looked very cross by this response.

"You sound just like him," he said. "Lisia, let's leave Cynthia to her misery."

Winona, however, stayed behind to keep chatting with the head dessert maker. Wallace and Lisia set off to head across the street, to the thriving Stone Bakery.

* * *

**It has been too long since I've uploaded. Anyway, leave a review, and in return you'll get a Slateport cake and a slice of pie, in your choice of Leppa or Bluk berry. Then, you can have a piece of Martine's Watmel berry.**


	10. Striaton Critics

**I can't BELIEVE how long its taking me to write Culinary Rivals. It's been almost a year since I've started! Noooooooo...**

**I'm still studying university still, being a part-time student, but I've found myself becoming increasingly lazy to write. *Sigh***

**To falconadventurer, the honoured Guests, and especially dawnleaf1234, have some pie and Slateport cakes! dawnleaf1234, have two slices of Bluk berry pie on me.**

* * *

_**Chapter ten: Striaton Critics**_

"We need pie," Wallace said as they walked through the doors of the bakery. This kind of statement earned curious look from his niece.

"I'm sorry, uncle?"

"Pie's good if there's something we can't solve, and in this case the love life of a certain friend," Wallace continued. "It'll help us, trust me. It helps us think."

It was extremely fortunate that Steven Stone was _not_ in the premises at the time Lisia ordered a couple bestselling berry pies. Leppa pie for Lisia, Bluk for Wallace. Both dishes looked extremely appetizing to the eye, with the stone-baked hot pie shells emitting steam and struggling to contain the berry extravagance beneath. It helped that the two of them had an appetite.

Wallace speared a piece of his Bluk berry pie and began to eat. It was extremely good, with the flavour of fresh Bluk berry filling his mouth and putting his senses to oblivion…

"Uncle," Lisia said. "Has it occurred to you that this tastes just as good as the croquembouche from last night?"

"Well… I haven't eaten enough of Steven's food to understand how he works, but…" Wallace faded off, lost in thought, "This is good pie. Especially the berries. It does remind me of the croquembouche indeed."

Berries.

Bluk berries. Leppa berries. Very good berries.

Lisia had an idea.

"Uncle…" she giggled. "Aren't these berries the ones Cynthia ordered. Why would Steven order berries at all? He might have stolen them."

"It doesn't matter," Wallace pointed out, and then an idea of his own sparked. "You know, we _did_ see him passing off a bribe to someone, didn't we? You know what, Lisia? We were right to trust the pie."

"That was him?! So he did steal them!" Lisia exclaimed. "But wait, uncle. Aren't we supposed to help out with Steven's love life? This is far from that…"

* * *

"We had time to think it over, and I distinctly recall that Steven was out in front of your restaurant bribing your supplier," Wallace told Cynthia. They were in the café, with the former enjoying one of Cynthia's milk teas.

Cynthia did not find this information surprising. Anyone could have stopped by her restaurant, and despite that it was someone who had just opened a bakery to help her café. Restaurant supplies aside.

"Well, I suppose that it was nice of him to make my café flourish. Look how popular it's been!" she said. "We could work together if we wanted to!"

Winona remained silent. She knew Wallace well enough that with the kind of tone in his voice, something was _bound_ to go wrong.

"It's just that... I recall Steven actually _bribing_ your supplier earlier," Wallace slowly said, with a hint of anticipation in his voice. "And we wonder why Steven always talks about business with you. He's not helping you. He's only helping himself!"

Cynthia laughed.

"I think I know enough about Steven that he wouldn't do something like that. It's not his type," she rolled her eyes.

To Cynthia's mild surprise, Wallace had a plate of Leppa berry pie ready on the table before her. It was still warm, and they all could smell the scent coming from it.

"I got this from Steven's bakery," he noted. "It's the best pie I've eaten so far around here, and the Leppa berry inside it is… awesome. You should try some! It helps you think."

Lisia, however, caught wind of what could possibly be brought about if Cynthia actually knew that Steven had bribed her supplier. The consequences could be unpredictable, and might jeopardise the relationship. Never mind how well the café and the bakery suited each other.

It had taken a minute for Cynthia to grab a fork and sit down again. She examined the pie carefully, speared a piece, and ate it slowly.

"To think that my friend wouldn't specialise in these things, but here we are," Wallace happily said. "Leppa berry pie at its finest. Well, I'm not surprised. The Leppa is first-class, and the pie – let's just say Steven is champion at baked goods! And we thought being Pokémon Champion wasn't good enough. He has a new passion for pies!"

However, Cynthia didn't say a word after taking that first bite. She only stared at the pie, as if her entire mind, and thoughts, was lost in it. The only audible sound was from the chewing of that pie in her mouth.

"These Leppa berries taste too good to be true," she muttered. "Where did he get these? Wait. Wallace. Are you _sure_ that Steven made this?"

"I'd stake my Milotic on it," Wallace answered with a confident grin. "If you'd like, I can bring you over to the bakery. Steven sure knows how to make things happen. You know, you two are perfect for each other! One has a bakery and the other a café. My dear, have you seen what's going on outside your doors?"

Cynthia shook her head. Not because she wanted to say 'no', but because she had no intention of _wanting_ to hear Wallace's explanation. Her day was starting off badly, given that her supply line has just been shortened somehow. Well, Wallace and Lisia pointed to Steven as a suspect. She only needed to verify if it was true. Personally… she hoped that it wasn't true. The Steven she knew back in her Champion days was _not_ like that. He was a legitimate businessman, wasn't he?

Winona cleared her throat, and it occurred to Wallace that she hadn't spoken for a while. Never mind once.

"I suppose you don't want to hear what he says," Winona muttered, as if she could read Cynthia's mind. "But don't take him the wrong way, Cynthia. He's always pushing when it comes to conversations like these."

Maybe she was overthinking the pie. That was kind of ironic, as Wallace had _just_ said the pie was supposed to help her think. Cynthia took another bite.

"I think," Cynthia said as she swallowed the pie, "I ought to pay that bakery a visit."

"Now, now, Cynthia. We don't want to jump to any conclusions yet," Wallace held his hands up. "Please. I'm sure that Steven may not have stolen your berry supply, even though Lisia and I have witnessed exactly that, but hey! Take the bakery as a complement! For all we know, he's trying to help you and himself."

To Wallace's surprise, Cynthia smiled.

"If that's true, then I'll head over there and thank him," she said.

Before Wallace could say anything else, Cynthia stood up and walked to the café doors, whilst leaving her pie unfinished. It then occurred to Winona that _Cynthia_ was the one who was eating pie, and it was apparent that Wallace and Lisia had some too.

Winona turned to Wallace and slapped his face with her right palm.

"OW! Again?! What was that for?" Wallace cried while doing his best to not attract attention. "Cynthia's not here anymore, so why?"

It looked like Winona's eyes were on fire, and her face became as red as magma. "_THAT'S…_ for not getting me a slice of pie. You just have to greedy, eh Wallace? You couldn't spare a _minute_ thinking about me."

Wallace held a hand on his cheek, and if Winona's face couldn't get any redder from being angry, it did when she saw Wallace smile. Was he trying to make fun of her?

"But Winona, my dear, I _did_ think of you," he said, and motioned to Lisia. "I saved you a slice of Bluk berry pie from the bakery. I know you would prefer that over Leppa berries…"

Winona, already red from anger and irritation, seriously thought she could not have gotten any redder. She was wrong. The redness on her face from embarrassment, severe embarrassment, had overridden all emotion. There it was. A slice of pie on the table before her.

All Winona did was burying her face on the table. She did _not_ want Wallace to see her face in this state, as her face was burning red-hot with some tears streaming from her eyes.

"Winona. Are you okay?" Wallace asked, although he had a hint of satire within his concerned voice. "Well, whatever you feel right now, could always be fixed with some pie. It helps you think."

* * *

There was still a lineup at newly-opened Stone Bakery such that it extended to outside, which Cynthia found strange. The Stone Bakery, which occupied a corner of the Stone Bistro not far from Steven's museum, was not small. Surely there was enough space to accommodate a reasonable number of customers, but a number of this size was excessive.

As she drew closer, Cynthia could smell the aroma of freshly baked goods wafting from the doors of the bakery. It smelled of bread, honey, and berries.

By the time Cynthia had gotten much closer to the doors of the bakery, and besides the fact that the scent of fresh bread was much stronger, it became apparent that there was another reason why it was so busy. However, it was certainly not just because of the suspected bribed ingredients. No, it was because that there in the bakery were three people. If anything, judging by the crowd's reactions, they were celebrities, or were they?

A redhead, a bluehead, and a greenhead were surrounded by the crowd. The trio were sitting at a table, and they – besides wearing identical waiters' apparel, save for their bow ties matching their hair colours – each had a slice of pie. No doubt about it, they were the popular former Gym Leaders from Striaton City: Cilan, Cress, and Chili. Alongside them was Steven, who was looking over them.

"So, what do you think?" Steven asked.

"This is one of the best pies I've ever eaten," Cilan commented. "I'm surprised that even you, of all people, would have wanted to operate the restaurant business. It's excellent."

"Come on, Cilan, let's talk about food here," Cress added. "Steven, this pie is delicious. The ingredients, especially the berries, are so fresh you could hear it _calling_ for you. I'm serious."

Chili took the longest to form his opinion. While Cilan and Cress were talking, Chili helped himself to more pie, with the crowds around them watching him. After taking more bites of Leppa berry pie, he put his fork down.

"Wow, Steven, you really know how to make good pie, yeah? However, I think there could be some improvements. The lady across the street – Cynthia, was it? – could turn this into a greater masterpiece, but I think the berries here speak for themselves!"

This, however, earned a silent glare from the host. Usually, in circumstances like these, Cilan would reprimand his brother for such a remark. But today was an exception.

"Consider us critics today, Steven. Take nothing personal," he said. "We'll be evaluating just how tasty your food is. At Chili's discretion, he went to Vue sur la Lune to try out one of their cakes. Speaking of which, however, I must credit your Slateport cakes. They're excellent. Speaking of which; Martine, my friend, bring me another of those cakes."

Martine Grenadine nodded and went to fetch the cake. Meanwhile, everyone's eyes were fixed on the trio's reactions upon eating the pies. Steven was still speechless from Chili's remark, but he regained his composure afterward.

But before Steven could think of a response after regaining his calm, he was disturbed by a voice in the crowd around him.

"I would like one of those pies, please," the voice had a cool undertone in it.

Oh, to think Chili had _just_ mentioned Cynthia, and she appeared. It was like speaking of the devil, and Steven was looking right at him. This case was slightly different, since it was Cynthia. Sure enough, he saw her amongst the crowd, and in fact, she was particularly _close_ to the Striaton trio's table. Had she been spying on them?

There were several actions Steven could take, so he took the one that made sense, given his gentleman personality.

"No," he said. "You can't have one."

The reply caused indistinct chatter among the people. Steven, however, was unaffected. He had no doubt that the people here had read the Apples and Oranges article from the popular Kalos magazine. Would it matter if he tried to prove the article wrong? Absolutely.

"I'm sorry?" Cynthia raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, you could wait until I've got fresh supplies," Steven said, "but as of now, I'm out of pie. They're too popular these days. I could get you a Slateport cake if you'd like."

But Cynthia wasn't having any of that. Not that she was angry at Steven, but that she was still under the impression that Steven may have taken her supplies. She had to get to the bottom of this, to the truth.

"Hey! What's going on here? Why is it so quiet?"

What better time than to have Martine pop up just now, just when Cynthia had caused a silent commotion? To Steven, this seemed to always be the case. By the time Martine had placed a Slateport cake before Chili, she caught wind of exactly what was happening.

"Martine. Excellent timing," Cynthia said, which caused Steven's eyes to twitch. "Do me a favour and get me a nice Bluk berry pie, please?"

"We're out," Martine said. "However, I still have a bit of Custap or Leppa berry pie if you're up you're up for it. Trust me, I recommend the Custap berry."

"_Of course you would…_" Steven muttered, as Cynthia placed her order and Martine went to fetch the pie.

On the other hand, Chili, Cress, and Cilan kept a close eye on the conversation after it finished. For one thing, they noticed Steven looking a little on edge, at best. Otherwise, he would have been downright flustered. For now, he leaned back on his seat.

The people muttered to themselves

"Is there something going on between you two?" Cress asked him.

"No," Steven's response was automatic.

"My friend," Chili said, "this is what you would call denial."

Now _that_ sounded a lot like something Wallace would say. To be fair, Steven was almost certain that neither Cress nor Chili nor Cilan would have gotten their hands on a copy of the recent popular Kalos magazine. That would spell some problems.

For now, they were guests who were sampling Steven's pies. Cynthia, on the other hand, helped herself to one of the tables nearby in the Stone Bakery. She sat down and watched the Striaton brothers eating the berry pies happily. Well, once she had a taste, she would see if these were good pies at all. As far as she was concerned, to have a bakery making bestselling pies and having her supply line cut seemed too coincidental.

Chili was first to finish his pie.

"Excellent baking and especially the berries, Steven," he said. "My compliments to the chef or – in this case – the baker."

* * *

"Shall I interest you three in some vegetable pies? I just created the recipe last night, so if you'll please, test it for me," Steven offered. "As for your Custap berry pie, Cynthia, I'll see to it personally –"

"No need, boss," Martine's voice broke in before Steven could finish. "I've got the Custap berry pie baked and ready. It only needs another minute."

Steven could actually smell the aroma of Custap berry coming from the ovens from where he was standing. It had the exact same smell of Watmel when Martine splashed some of the berry juice on his sleeve.

Wait. Watmel berry? Where did that come from? It couldn't have been _the_ berry Martine brought in from the morning, could it? What exactly was the Watmel berry doing here?! Did Martine somehow add Watmel berry to a Custap berry _pie_?!

Within minutes, a slice of Custap berry pie was placed under Cynthia's nose. Steven could smell the Watmel berry even from where he was standing. Pretending to ignore the pie, he went to see to the Striaton brothers, but they were occupied with watching Cynthia taste the pie.

Steven, however, could not allow Cynthia to try the pie by any means. If she knew her berries, she would know how they tasted. This was not good. He had to find a way to avoid a potential catastrophe. It didn't help that almost everyone's eyes were fixed on Cynthia, it almost certainly didn't help that everyone knew they were rivalling chefs, and it certainly didn't help that – Steven suspected – they had all read the popular Kalos magazine article.

"You know what, Cynthia? Would you be interested in some vegetable pie instead?" he bluntly offered. "I think Leppa berry pie can wait –"

"Out of the question, Steven," Cilan said. "Let Cynthia have her pie."

"But –"

"No buts," Cress added. "If you are a gentleman, you'd let the lady do what she likes."

"But I –"

"Steven. No," Chili said, as if he was scolding a pet.

By the time Steven uttered the first sound of response, Cynthia already had a piece of pie in her mouth, and she chewed it slowly.

* * *

**Did anyone notice the Fire Emblem reference I put in here? Hint. It happens with Wallace and Winona… and it was in the previous chapter too!**

**I also threw in a Men in Black reference here too.**

**Review, place your order for a pie, and wait! You get to choose between a Custap berry pie with a Watmel berry (Martine's recipe), or perhaps a classic vegetable pie.**


	11. Worth Two Chocolates

**I could think of multiple excuses as to why I took so long to write this chapter, even though it is the summer. The first, I'm doing school (lame excuse, since I only need to attend once a week). The second, I focused too much on two other stories (Eclipse and Class-One). The third, I'm just too lazy! Help!**

**I sincerely apologise for the long delay, and hard to believe its been a YEAR since I've published this story. SIGH... but schoolwork has its price, and I have to prepare for the next term in a month from now. I also have this surprising lack of motivation when I write this story too. That doesn't help.**

**To The Legendary Falcon Fall, Dr Bound, and especially dawnleaf1234, enjoy a pie! dawnleaf1234, you get priority with a slice of Martine's Watmel and Custap berry pie, and as for the other three, I'll see to you having Custap berry pies as well.**

**Enjoy the food, and the chapter! I will partly focus on the two receptionists in this chapter too.**

* * *

_**Chapter eleven: Worth Two Chocolates**_

It had been two days since that fateful day when _she_ walked into his bakery. Whether the timing was expected or not, Steven knew it was bound to happen.

There of course had been the expected rise in revenue and profits, but that only happened in the first day. By the second day, Steven had seen a decline in pretty much everything, but alas, the current pace was sustainable. For now.

It happened in the first day when Steven was on his way to work, when he was opening the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. On the way, he could notice the platinum blond hair of Cynthia out in the distance, just across the street. From what Steven could see the look wasn't pleasant.

By the end of the first day, Steven figured that Cynthia _must_ have found out about his bribe. Wait, didn't he bribe the supplier so that they would keep quiet? Unless… someone else had told Cynthia what had happened. Would it have been Martine? Perhaps. He would have to seriously start considering firing her…

That reminded him, he had not seen neither Wallace nor Lisia for a long time. Well, that was certainly something he could live with. But what he couldn't live with was the nasty glares he was receiving from the culinary rival.

In the middle of the second day, on the way to work, he and Cynthia had passed by each other at the plaza between the two restaurants. They exchanged irritated looks, and then silently marched away to their establishments.

Much to the amusement of the people who were observing the scene.

By the start of the third day, Steven and Cynthia passed by each other again, but their glances at each other were such that it was hard to tell who looked more annoyed. After they separated, Steven walked past the doors of his establishment. Martine Grenadine, who had snuck behind her boss, grabbed his collar and quietly pulled him aside.

"Argh!" he cried.

Steven was surprised, at first, but then that surprise quickly turned into a mix of annoyance and fear. Particularly when it was not only Martine he was looking at, but James d'Arc and the two attractive receptionists were also there.

"We need to talk, Mr. Stone," the handsome male receptionist, Laurent, said.

"That's right!" Laurent's pretty co-receptionist, Sophie, added.

Steven could feel the pressure of three of his employees trying to strike a personal conversation with him. It did _not_ help that James, his sous and co-administrator, joined in the conversation as well. Four faces that he knew well since he started working here…

"What exactly did you do to her the day we opened the bakery?" James demanded.

Steven rolled his eyes, as if he had no idea what they were talking about. "What makes you say that? And what's it to _all of you_?"

Laurent sighed.

Sophie said, "Laurent and I saw her simply _storm_ out of the bakery that night for some reason. Mr. d'Arc saw it too and figured something might have happened. And then we see the two of you – you and that Cynthia lady – glare at each other just now."

Steven did not say a word, but he was clearly not in the mood to talk. Unfortunately for him, he was cornered by four of his most reliable workers of his establishment. To walk away would be impossible, for they weren't allowing such an option!

* * *

Wallace had decided to sleep in that day, so Winona took Lisia out for breakfast at Vue sur la Lune. However, by the time Winona approached her table, she could feel a chilling aura coming from somewhere. No matter how Winona could put it, something had happened here. Currently, Winona craved a slice of cake.

Although… that pie she tasted yesterday, thanks to Wallace, was delicious. Perhaps Cynthia might be able to get her a slice. Oh, wait. Didn't Wallace get the pie from Steven's bakery?

"_Bienvenue à Vue sur la Lune_," the waiter greeted Winona. "Is it just the two of you?"

"Yeah," Winona said.

They followed the waiter to the elevator where it would lead them to their seats. They got off onto the second floor and were fortunate to have a window seat. As they were seated, Lisia glanced at the view below, which was nothing more than the Stone Bistro. In her bones, Lisia could also sense the chill that filled Vue sur la Lune, despite the sunshine glimmering into the restaurant.

It took no more than eight minutes before the two of them were having breakfast, as the restaurant wasn't that busy in the morning. Freshly baked bread and fruit for Lisia. Cake for Winona. Lisia also helped herself to a glass of crushed ice with fresh lemon juice while Winona had a coffee. In accordance to Vue sur la Lune's standards, the food did look appetizing to the eye, but the food did taste different somehow. It tasted… better.

_I wonder where she is_? Winona thought.

"Hey, Winona. Is something on your mind?" Lisia said, interrupting Winona's thoughts.

"Not much," she replied, although she did glance at the kitchen in the distance. Judging from Winona's looks, it was apparent that she was concerned for Cynthia. Lisia didn't blame her, as Cynthia _was_ a former renowned Champion and Winona was still a Gym Leader, so why not show some concern for a fellow League member? "It's just that… something doesn't feel right."

But as fortune would have it, Cynthia briefly appeared onto the floor, but only to discuss what looked like a strategy plan with her servers. There she was, pointing at certain servers and then pointing them in specific directions. Winona had never seen Cynthia looking so businesslike. On Lisia's part, Cynthia definitely looked and acted like the businessman Steven was. There were similarities. Perhaps that was why they were fit for each other.

Winona quickly got out of her seat to approach Cynthia before the latter would disappear. As Winona got closer, she could see how serious Cynthia looked. The collectiveness she thought she knew about her seemed to fall apart in wake of Cynthia's cold attitude. Cynthia apparently did not notice Winona's near presence as she was too busy talking and directing. At least until Winona tapped her on the shoulder.

"Winona!" Cynthia stared in shock. Her businesslike attitude immediately disappeared and was replaced by one of surprise.

"You okay there, Cynthia?" Winona asked. "You seem to be a little under the weather, even though it's a nice day today."

Cynthia flushed as if she didn't know what to say. From that reaction alone, Winona could instantly tell something was wrong with her. However, before Winona could say any more, one of Cynthia's servers came in their direction and passed Cynthia an order of dessert. Without saying more than a "Hold that thought," Cynthia took off for the kitchens. Feeling like a little lost, Winona went back to sit with Lisia.

Lisia seemed amused.

"It looks like she has some issues," Winona said.

"Ha, it's the look of defeated love," Lisia sang, causing Winona to raise her eyebrows. "Don't worry, Winona. I've seen my uncle with that expression many times before he finally cracked about you. He sure did embarrass himself in front of Juan that day."

This caused Winona to flush just like Cynthia did but she kept her head down, and when she could speak, Lisia was halfway eating her fruit. "How could you even possibly know that?"

Lisia reserved the right to remain silent, much to Winona's annoyance. They went on eating their breakfast in awkward silence, but they did watch how Cynthia operated her restaurant to pass the time. As they watched Cynthia's expressions, they both agreed on that Cynthia was _not_ happy. Never had they seen Cynthia ordering her servers around with such fury and passion, and Lisia questioned if she was really enjoying the job.

"I think she'll have to leave Cyllage City at some point," Winona stated, drawing her conclusion from the apparent observations. "Not that she would want to be working in a bad mood, right?"

"She won't move," Lisia asserted, and ate the last of her fruit before saying, "Steven will do whatever he can to _not_ make her move away. He loves her too much."

Winona choked on her coffee right as Lisia said this and she had to sputter. Not that Lisia had said anything wrong, but how could she even make such a claim? Ah yes, the 'Apples and Oranges' article from the popular Kalos magazine, perhaps, was a catalyst to her claim, but that provided no ground for love. It was irrelevant to the issue, which revolved around Cynthia's behaviour.

"That doesn't make sense, Lisia!" she protested. "We're talking about Cynthia maybe leaving Cyllage City for good if she keeps this up in the long-run!"

Lisia still looked relaxed and casual. "She'll be fine. Steven will make sure of it."

A waiter arrived to pick up the empty dishes, but not before taking a good look at Lisia and recognising who she was. His cheeks turned pink; Winona had no doubt why, and she refused to say anything. Nevertheless, the waiter kept his form.

"So how was breakfast this morning?" he asked them both. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Lisia did have something to say. "I'd like to know what's up with Cynthia today. She seems _really_ cross and grumpy, you know?"

"Ah, so you noticed," the waiter flashed a small smile. "No, she's been like that ever since she returned from the Stone Bakery across the street yesterday. We don't know what she's up to, but she hasn't been in the best mood either."

Making sure Cynthia wasn't looking, he lowered his voice, "She showed up to work with bloodshot eyes, so everyone knows it better not to be in her bad books today. Hopefully, she'll get over it in time, because whatever behaviour she's in might affect my job."

He shook his head and placed a menu on the table. "By the way, would you be interested in purchasing some sweets from the new chocolate shop Cynthia opened? We're offering half-price discounts to breakfast customers this morning."

The 'menu' he placed was not entirely a menu in its own right. More like an oversized promotions card, in that it was advertising a lot of mouth-watering treats from the chocolate shop below. To their credit, the prices were reasonable, and it seemed just as _un_reasonable to be slashing their prices to half for the day. That made sense, in some other perspective, since the shop was newly opened. As for the chocolate itself, they were advertised as freshly made from below, using only local ingredients to create chocolates of various combinations. Chocolate with spice, chocolate with liquor centres, chocolate with soft centres, chocolate-covered berries, and even chocolate which caused minor explosions in the mouth!

"What do you think, Lisia?" Winona asked. "It's a little early for chocolate, don't you think?"

"Aw… but I think my uncle would love some," Lisia whined, whereas Winona knew Lisia was making some pretext to get a box, anyway. "Besides, why don't _you_ buy it for him? That way, he'll know just how much affection you have for him, since that day you punched him in the face –"

"I _slapped_ him," Winona interrupted, irritated as she was.

"No matter, you can make up for it!" Lisia posed, once again irritating Winona. "He got you a pie, so the least you can do is buy him some chocolate. Plus, I do happen to know what kind he likes."

She did have a point though. Within minutes after paying the bill, Winona and Lisia were on the ground floor at the newly opened chocolate shop, which just so happened to be adjacent to the café. With its glass windows identical to the café, it could have been easily mistaken as part of the café were it not for the café's outside tables, or the visible chocolate-making within, or the refrigerated display of chocolates modelled in the shapes of Pokémon.

To be more exact, the modelled chocolate Pokémon were handcrafted and molded by Cynthia herself. Winona and Lisia were amazed at the models they could find in the shop. There were of course chocolates modelled realistically to look like Garchomp or Magnemite, and others modelled to look like Sinnoh legends, but there were also chocolates modelled to look like real-life places, as if these chocolates were _not_ made to be eaten, but to be displayed.

That is, one such model was chocolate molded to look like Lumiose City's Prism Tower. Lisia spent at least two minutes gazing at the chocolate marvel, scaled to the last exterior detail.

"_Salut_, would you be interested in sampling some fudge?" an employee held out a tray of soft gummy-like pieces of fudge to them. They did not look nor felt like the typical chocolate Lisia was accustomed to, because it was white and it felt squishy in her hand. Casually, Lisia popped the piece in her mouth, whereas Winona did the same.

After chewing on it a few times, Lisia couldn't help but smile. "Nothing like a piece of chocolate to perk me up. Hey, Winona, what do you think? It's so… sweet! It's sweet and… just a little bit sour, but just enough. Not too much!"

Winona begged to differ.

"I think mine tastes bitter, kind of like dark chocolate," Winona said quietly. "Wait… is this Rawst berry I taste?"

It was, despite the little bitterness, surprisingly good. Blending chocolate with the essence of the Rawst berry provided a simple flavour, but hardly one that Winona could criticise. The taste filled up her mind, and the taste was all that was left. For the moment, Winona was lost thinking about the flavour until Lisia place a hand on Winona's shoulder and shook her.

"Yo, you okay, Winona?" she asked not out of concern, but of pity. "You must like it very much."

"Er… yeah, pretty much," Winona replied. Not forgetting why she was here in the first place, she said, "What do you think we should get? I mean, for Wallace?"

The answer was to look around the shop for what Wallace would have liked. However, as both Lisia and Winona were too aware, they spent much of the time looking at chocolates they themselves liked. In the end, Winona settled on buying a set of java chocolates and dark chocolates topped with coffee beans for Wallace, and got a set of specialty berry chocolates for herself. Lisia set about buying a chocolate cake, and adding a little extra treat for her uncle.

"I just hope we're not eating too much," Lisia said, being self-aware of how many sweets she was buying. "It'll look bad for my image."

"Well, it's not like we're going to eat them all at once, eh?" Winona nudged Lisia's side. "Besides, these berry chocolates are dark chocolate-covered. I can share some with you if you'd like."

* * *

Laurent and Sophie had just returned to the Stone Restaurant and Bistro after a morning stroll. After they had their turn interrogating Steven, it was Martine's turn, and James'. Laurent and Sophie knew each other well enough as co-workers and friends, but they were also members of the same fan club and occasionally had a Pokémon battle together. It never occurred to them they would be working together at one of Kalos' newest and most successful restaurants, but they were fine with that.

As of now, they had come back each with a box of chocolates from across the street. In the past hour or two, they had boggled Steven with tens of questions asking what he did two days ago, but he wasn't budging. After fifteen minutes of no cooperation, they let Martine and James take over while the two of them went to check out the chocolate shop, which carried the namesake of Vue sur la Lune: La Lune de Chocolat.

During, the return trip, while they were pleasantly enjoying their chocolate as well, they both passed by the square plaza centered at the end of the road beside the Stone Bistro. People, office workers from the looks of it, began heading over there with coffees from Cynthia's café to sit and wait for their friends, who came out of Steven's bakery with fresh bread and butter. Now, people began buying chocolate from La Lune de Chocolat to enjoy with their friends there.

"If my hunch is right," Laurent said, "I think people just want to make that place the unofficial dining area of both restaurants."

"Steven sure wasn't happy when he saw it…" Sophie added. "Let's go see how Martine's doing."

But before they did enter the front doors of the restaurant, Laurent and Sophie snuck a chocolate from their newly purchased boxes to eat. No matter how they put it, the chocolate was too good and unique in its own right!

"Mm… spicy and sweet at the same time," Laurent said to himself.

Sophie stayed silent, but she still wore a smile as she and her co-worker went back into the restaurant. They both thought of the prospect of Steven finally cracking up and telling the truth, let alone an explanation. If he saw them with the chocolates… maybe that would give him an edge.

Never mind the fact that Laurent and Sophie had a box of chocolates each. As far as they were concerned, Steven's response was worth both of those chocolates. Heck. They would try to bribe him with the chocolate if they had to.

* * *

"Chocolate? Did you say _chocolate_?" Wallace's eyes became bloodshot upon seeing his niece holding the box with his girlfriend. The two of them had returned to the hotel room, where Wallace had just gotten out of bed.

"You got it, uncle," Lisia held up the box, with its clear cover showing the set of chocolates within; half with dark chocolate and coffee beans, and the other half with white chocolate with mint garnish. The essence of mint fused with chocolate –

"Chocolate?! _Chocolate?!_ CHOCOLATE!" Wallace screamed.

It appeared Wallace was in a state of outrage, madness, and chaos. This was the side of Wallace Winona had never expected to see. The usual, smooth-talking, Gym Leader she knew was obviously beside himself, where he was going crazy over chocolate. Was it just because it was chocolate? Or was it because there was something in the chocolate that affected him?

Never minding that, Winona snapped her fingers in front of him and said, "Snap out of it, Wallace!"

But Wallace was in a trance, and babbling the same words over, and over. "_Chocolate_."

Feeling ignored, but still understandable, Winona curled up her hand into a fist and punched Wallace in the cheek.

"Ha-hah! No slapping for you, this time, uncle!" Lisia laughed. "I told you that love hurts!"

But Wallace was unconscious on the floor, his eyes blank and deprived of life. Suddenly aware of this, Winona looked at her hand, and drew a blank humourless smile.

"I guess I might have punched him too hard," she muttered.

Lisia placed her boxes of chocolates on the floor beside her uncle's head to see if he was okay. If Lisia had been really looking hard, she would have noticed his fingers twitch, as well as his nose. Winona alone helped herself to one of the berry chocolates to treat herself, and she still couldn't believe it was still the morning.

* * *

**Have two pieces of chocolate from La Lune de Chocolat for leaving a review!**


	12. Leaking Both Wine and Secrets

**Due to the number, the INSANE NUMBER of orders of food from Aureillia, I've had to work overtime to get the food ready and in place.**

**Also, I've figured that at my current pace I might be uploading ONE chapter PER month. That's not going to look good in the long-run! That's horrible! Alas, writing many stories and trying to balance it with school life has its price. As university taught me, I have to plan my time. And my final exam for the summer is in two weeks.**

**Okay... to business.**

**Aureillia, you get a baked macaron, more baked macarons, a slice of Custap berry cheesecake, a share of leftovers from the wedding reception, a plate of croquembouche, a cup of coffee or tea, a Slateport cake, a Leppa or Blue berry pie, a bit of Watmel berry from Martine, and two pieces of chocolate! Whew! That's a huge order!**

**dawnleaf1234, The Legendary Falcon Fall, flashyhero, InfernusXS, and the hounoured Guest, please enjoy two pieces of chocolate from La Lune de Chocolat!**

**Now, enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

_**Chapter twelve: Leaking Both Wine and Secrets**_

As truthful as Steven could hope, his business was what mattered to him for now.

But that seemed impossible now as not only Martine and James, but also his own _Metagross_ had locked him up in the bar's wine cellar, at the courtesy of the bartender. Now Steven did not feel good at all. He should be working, but now that he was locked in the wine cellar he had no hope of getting out, and it made him feel worse to be betrayed by his closest employees. On the other hand, he wouldn't be surprised if the entire restaurant had conspired to make him talk.

The smell of alcohol was not enough to make him go dizzy, at least in the short-run. But Steven knew that if he stayed here any longer there was a possibility he would pass out. The cellar had its lights dimmed and the smell of wine was everywhere. If this equated to torture, Steven had to admit it was working. The two attractive receptionists who he _thought_ he trusted had abandoned him, and left him to suffer in this cruel alcohol-smelling room. It was not the alcohol that was cruel, but the room itself.

Only once every fifteen minutes did Martine come by to check on him, and the conversation was the same thing every time.

"Well? Are you talking, or what, boss?"

"No! I will not talk!"

While Steven sat alone in this room, he began to wonder if it was a mistake to make James his sous. Even though together he and James had managed to operate the restaurant to exceptional levels, Steven considered if it was a mistake to hire James in the first place. Knowing him, he would be managing the restaurant in his place, and Steven could not fire him without very good reason as James was also an administrator.

Initially, he was cornered by his employees when he entered his restaurant, and they demanded explanations from him. Because Steven was unwilling, both James and Laurent forced Steven into the wine cellar, with the bartender locking up the door so Steven would have to cooperate eventually. However, Martine wasn't expecting such stiff resistance from her boss. After Laurent and Sophie unsuccessfully tried to force out answers from Steven, James and Martine took over.

Nevertheless, their efforts yielded the same result. Steven was not talking.

Two floors above Steven's prison, James d'Arc carried on the lunch hour working as his usual self. The servers led by Martine were delivering lunches to their respective customers. Sophie and Laurent were working together at the front desk as usual helping customers to the tables. The bakery and the museum were operating smoothing, and the bartender was happy to keep Steven locked up for the time being, although the bar staff questioned what Steven would do to them once he got out.

At some point in the day, Wallace dropped by the restaurant for lunch as well as looking for his friend. He was aware, though, that Steven wasn't there. At first, he arrived there with bruises on his face, much to Laurent and Sophie's unease, but they recognised him. Subsequently, they gave Wallace a seat, and Martine went to serve his food.

"Martine, my friend," Wallace greeted. "How are you? And how's Steven?"

"He's cool," Martine said as she poured a glass of ice water for him. "I'm pretty tired, though, myself. But tell me, Wallace, what happened to your face?!"

The bruises were clearly evident as they had left a huge purple stain on Wallace's left cheek. If Martine didn't know better, she would have assumed Wallace had gotten into a street fight of some sort. But as far as she was concerned, if there had been a street fight in Cyllage City anyone would know about it. After all, Cyllage City was a quiet seaside municipality like Shalour. Nothing that wasn't out of the ordinary would be noticed.

"I'll assure you, my dear, that I have every reason –"

"Is this something to do with Winona?" Martine interrupted before Wallace could talk any further.

Wallace did drink some water while looking sternly at Martine's facial expression. There was reason why Steven would want to avoid him, Wallace was fine with that, but Wallace did feel the restaurant was behaving differently. Martine was acting differently, for one thing; the two receptionists seemed tired, and Steven was not in sight. The sous chef appeared to be leading in Steven's place, although Wallace had never met him. On Martine's part, she seemed cool and collected.

"I'd like to see the chef," he added.

"He's busy," Martine collected the menus while saying this. "In fact, Wallace, we're all busy. But the chef is busy such that he doesn't have time to work at all, ironically."

The response Martine gave was met with a cold eye.

"Hey, if you'd like, I could get the sous chef for you," Martine suggested, refusing to be intimidated by Wallace. Moreover, she would have found it amusing to have been actually intimidated by Wallace, the outgoing one. "He's filling in for Steven for now."

Wallace supposed that would have been a better option, but what he would be more interested in was what happened to Steven. Martine, for one, did not give him a direct answer, so getting someone else would be a better idea. As far as he was concerned, he was only acquainted with Martine, but getting to know the sous wouldn't hurt either.

Within minutes, James d'Arc met up at Wallace's table. Business had just started to slow down for a bit, so the former could expend some time to talk with the customers. To be polite, James and Wallace shook hands upon meeting and they took seats.

"I saw you at the wedding reception that night," James started. "Not to mention that Steven has spoken of you several times here. What do you need?"

"I'm actually here to see Steven," Wallace said. "Do you know where he is?"

James' lips curled, and Wallace could notice this. "Oh, wait," Wallace continued. "So you do know where he is? Well, what's going on?"

James did not reply at first, but proceeded to walk away from the table. This irritated Wallace as well as making him more curious, so he got up to wrestle with James' shoulder, and stopping him in his tracks. "Hey, if there's anything happening to Steven, I want to be first to know – er – maybe if you don't count what's-her-name across the street."

At first, James was taken aback. In his bones, he also wanted to know what was going on with Steven, but that was an issue he wanted to resolve between himself and the rest of the staff. No one outside the restaurant needed to know what was going on with Steven, and especially when the staff had locked up him in the wine cellar below. Interrogation was in progress, and James hoped that Steven would crack at some point. For one who was stuck in the wine cellar for a while, Steven was strong, but there had to be a way to get to him. There had to!

"Let's just say that Steven's cooling off," he said to Wallace. "I'll say that much."

* * *

With a box of chocolates, Laurent went over to the restaurant bar at the ground floor where the wine cellar was located. The bartender and Steven's Metagross, still on guard in case Steven would attempt to break out, welcomed the sight of the handsome receptionist.

In Laurent's opinion, the time Steven spent in the wine cellar, apart from the heavy scent of alcohol, should have made Steven go insane. Steven could seize an opportunity to smash everything in the wine cellar to throw something of a tantrum. However, like James, Martine, and a few others, Laurent knew Steven well enough that the latter would not want to damage anything that could impact his business; particularly when the wines were paid for by the firm.

"Is he still in there?" he asked the bartender.

"He's been especially quiet," the bartender replied. "Honestly, though, I do fear for all of us what he will do once he's out. But you, Martine, and James, just want him to talk, right?"

"Sophie too," Laurent added. "Do you mind if I have a glass of crushed ice and Nomel, while we're at it?"

The bartender went straight to making the drink as Laurent went for the wine cellar door, located just beside the bar. Metagross was standing guard in front, and as soon as Laurent arrived, the former flashed what looked like a smile and stood aside. Laurent knocked on the door with his chocolates in his hands.

"Hey, Mr. Stone, ready to talk now?"

"_No…_" was the weak response Laurent got.

"I'm guessing you haven't had anything to eat, right Mr. Stone?" Laurent teased. "Would you like me to get James to cook you a meal? I'll have Martine drop it off to you in an hour, but only if you will talk to us –"

"_Not on my life!_" the faint cry of Steven could be heard beyond the cellar door. Laurent shrugged. The bartender though, who felt partly sorry for Steven but also partly amused, went over to the wine cellar door and quickly opened it just long enough to place a glass of ice with lemon and water on the floor. He subsequently closed the door, much to Steven's frustration.

"I have some chocolate for you if you'd like some," Laurent started, knowing it would probably set his boss on edge. "Sophie and I bought some from Vue sur la Lune this morning –"

"_GET OUT!_" Steven tried to yell, but his voice was too dry to manage to get past the wine cellar door. Still, it was enough for Laurent so he left Steven to his misery. Overall, he was impressed at how long Steven was keeping this up. Just what exactly did he do that he would sacrifice his _hunger_ to stop people from knowing? It was as if Steven was carrying a secret he wanted to take with him to the grave. Moreover, Laurent thought the chocolate would have given Steven the push to talk. Perhaps not.

Sighing, Laurent went back to the bartender to pick up his glass of crushed ice and Nomel, and he then made for the front desk.

* * *

At Vue sur la Lune, Cynthia had never felt this busy in the time she had operated the restaurant. Thanks to the efforts of the café and La Lune de Chocolat, things were getting profitable. It helped that the café had plenty of desserts to sell, but what bothered Cynthia was that many of her café and dessert-buying customers opted to purchase their goods and bring them to a square plaza just outside of the Stone Restaurant.

However, many of her staff, including Henri Matin, could feel a chill Cynthia carried whenever she worked. It was as if the usual atmosphere the staff were accustomed to working with had been removed instantly. All that was left was the efficient task-oriented environment, and they began to question if they were satisfied with their jobs.

Cynthia alone seemed fine with her state of progress.

Winona and Lisia returned to Vue sur la Lune shortly before noon. As well as wanting to grab lunch from one of the tastiest restaurants in the area, Winona was also concerned for Cynthia's well-being, given the description she heard in the morning. By the time they had their seats, Winona set about looking for Cynthia while Lisia waited for lunch. Winona found Cynthia shortly after, when the latter was busy issuing orders to her staff (who, apparently, didn't look too satisfied with their once-motivational boss).

"What's your plan now, Cynthia?" Winona asked her. "Come on, at least you could spare some time to talk with us, eh?"

She looked tense, but relaxed briefly. Cynthia quietly followed Winona to where Lisia was seated, and they sat down. Looking at what they were eating, Cynthia politely ordered Henri to get her a salad with Watmel berries. The staff clearly noticed their manager's change in mood, but they kept that to themselves.

"I'm doing… fine. Yeah, that's it," she said to Winona. "I've just ordered a few expansions for my restaurant and now I'm adding more tasty things to the menu. Perhaps you'd like a sample?"

"Hey! Enough talk about food for a change!" Lisia interrupted. "Why not talk about Steven? Hasn't _he_ been on your mind, at least? Figure, why are you so on edge?"

Cynthia said nothing at first. But from what Winona could see, Cynthia had no intention of talking about Steven, nor was she keen. Lisia, though, seemed fine with that. Moreover, Lisia seemed _amused_ that Cynthia wasn't talking.

"Love trouble, right?" Lisia jabbed, hoping to dig deeper. "You can tell me and Winona everything. No stone goes unturned when girls talk, right? Right?"

"Don't mind her," Winona said soothingly. "You don't need to tell us everything if you don't want too. We'll respect your privacy."

"You mean _you_ will respect her privacy," Lisia shot back. "Now, we all know you're the gentle, graceful, and generous woman here, Winona, save for those times you punched Wallace in the face (Winona glared at her for this), but we've got to be more persuasive here."

Cynthia's Garchomp happened to stop by in the midst of the conversation.

"Oh, Garchomp. Perfect timing," Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief. "Could you drop by the kitchen and grab me a salad wrap? I'm not craving much today. Oh, and go see to our other plans."

Winona only saw this as a diversion for Cynthia to avoid the question Lisia imposed. In her mind, she decided not to play along with Lisia's persuasion and sought to only enjoy a casual lunch with a fellow female friend. She did have a glass of sparkling water on the table with a delicious Watmel salad, but that was all.

"I'm surprised you still have not been dating, Cynthia," Lisia went on. "Aren't you waiting a bit too slow for a boyfriend? Or are you hoping he'll just come to you? The local gossip paper claims you'll reach a point where you'll regret it –"

"Tell us more about what else you've been doing," Winona interrupted, hoping to press for a shift in the conversation away from Cynthia's love life. While this earned an irritated inaudible remark from Lisia, for Cynthia she was happy to talk about something else.

"Oh, I've just been going about my business as usual," Cynthia replied. Her voice seemed fragile, but it also sounded _wrong_. To be honest, Winona had no idea what was going on through Cynthia's mind. She wasn't there when Cynthia went to the Stone Bakery, but she figured that Cynthia must have taken Wallace's words seriously when the latter claimed Steven had bribed the supplier. This was the result, perhaps.

"Are you sure?" she gently asked.

"Yes," Cynthia added, coolly. "I'm definitely doing business."

* * *

Whether Wallace was sweet-talking many of the staff, of if he was only being lucky, James had no idea how he had Wallace sitting across from him in Steven's office. The thing was that Wallace was sitting at where Steven would normally sit, and James was separated from him by Steven's desk.

"What do you want, Wallace?" James demanded. With a bustle of business going on one or two floors above, James had to expend time to talk.

"It's just that I've been asking many of your lovely waitresses here…" Wallace started, with a wide grin, "and they tell me that you all have a bit of a problem with Steven. You say he's cooling off, but that's not what Martine told me."

"That's none of your business –" James started.

"Nah-uh!" Wallace pointed accusingly. "Whenever there's anything that involves my friend Steven, especially his love life, it's always my business. You just don't know about it! Now, tell me, where's Steven and what's going on with him?"

At first James was taken aback, as he didn't know how to respond at first. Worse yet, he could tell that from Wallace's expression that he wasn't about to take silence as an answer. Suppose what the employees did was unethical in regards to business, but in _this_ case, when the restaurant's owner was potentially suspect to something more unethical, James had to get to the truth.

But the truth wasn't coming out as easily as he thought. In his bones, James had never considered Wallace to be a plausible option for squeezing out whatever secrets Steven had. Was it the time to be desperate when Steven wasn't cooperating? Even more so, was Wallace to be trusted? To be fair, he was a Hoenn Champion, after all.

"I know how to butter him up, man, I _know_," Wallace said.

"You know what? Come with me," James motioned Wallace to follow. As the office was conveniently located on the ground level alongside the museum, the bar, and the Stone Bakery, the wine cellar was only a short walk away.

As they went for the bar, James took note of Laurent and Sophie, who were both enjoying chocolates and taking reservations for incoming guests. Business would manage for now, even if the cooking staff seemed slightly shorthanded.

* * *

**A/N: The part below is probably rated T for alcohol references.**

* * *

Steven had contemplated drinking wine.

The glass of water and lemon Laurent had left for him was finished too soon, and as long as Steven was stuck in this prison of ancient alcohol, there was no way he would be able to get any water. The bartender had the power to give Steven water, but in exchange Steven would have to give in to his employees' demands. That wasn't going to happen. Whatever his employees wanted to know, only Steven would make sure they wouldn't find out.

Sitting alone still in this cruel prison, Steven pulled a bottle of red wine and poured a bit into the empty glass he had. Alcohol could dehydrate him, but Steven was thirsty.

However, as he was all too aware, his thirst would become uncontrollable. It would not be quenched. Although Steven should have been able to survive for at least a few days without water, the smell of wine was overbearing. In the end, he poured himself a glass from one of the bottles in the cellar to slowly drink from it.

He shouldn't be drinking wine at a time like this. He would suffer. He was so thirsty! But if he did drink, he would want more, and he still wouldn't stop. No, he needed water.

Eventually, Steven set aside the glass to think about his dilemma. While he was at it, he decided to return the bottle of red wine to its respective place, but not before vacuuming out the air within the bottle with a special pump to preserve the alcohol within. Afterwards, Steven cautiously placed the bottle where it belonged. The alcohol was getting into his head, and he could barely stand up straight.

_No_, he tiredly thought. _I better not. It's not like I'll feel any better if I did drink now._

But as he placed the bottle where it belonged, Steven felt something was out of place.

_Aren't there supposed to be ten bottles of imported Unova wine, here?_ Steven thought. _I only see three, and a barrel is missing too!_

Steven did question if he was hallucinating or not. Maybe it was the alcohol fumes getting into his mind. But there was no chance Steven was hallucinating, since he was thinking very clearly and he was thinking about hallucinating. How could he hallucinate if he could think about it? For good measure, he made sure the 'missing' bottles really were missing.

Even more so, what he found very difficult to understand was the potent _smell_ of wine in the cellar. Normally, the wines were sealed well so that alcohol wouldn't be released. The best explanation would have been that someone might have sealed a bottle or two improperly, but the smell was too potent!

He wanted to get up and hit for the cellar door, but his mind was so sleepy. He wanted to rest. No matter how hard they would try, they would not get to him.

The familiar knock on the wine cellar door came.

Steven knew exactly what to expect, but his throat and mouth were dry. To reach for the glass of wine he had deliberately poured out was very tempting, but he knew better than to drink it. Using whatever willpower he had, Steven made for the door, but he tripped over his own feet and crashed into the door.

"_I will not talk!_" Steven rasped.

"There's no need to talk, my friend." Oh, the dreaded voice of flamboyant friend. It could not have gotten worse than this, save for Lisia. But why did it have to be him? And how exactly did he even _know_ he was here? "I've had a word with James and he said you were cooling off. I had no idea you were in here though, and Metagross is stopping you from getting out. What are you doing?"

"_Haaaahh_…" Steven choked. It was apparent his throat was dry.

"Ah, there's no need to say more," Wallace said, although he was aware Steven didn't say anything at all. "It's about Cynthia, right?"

As if Steven had been slapped hard in the face, he was partly back to his senses, if it wasn't for the alcohol in his head, Steven could have thought a lot more clearly, but bringing up the topic about Cynthia by _Wallace_ was enough. No, he had to stop.

"_There's nothing I did to her that affected her,_" he whispered. "_Her loss of supplies wasn't my fault._"

"Oh! So it IS about her loss of supplies!" Wallace said excitedly. The bartender and Metagross, who heard Wallace very clearly, saw this as a breakthrough, and they stood closer to listen in. But Wallace motioned them to stay away. "Leave us."

As Steven heard the footsteps of the bartender fade, he began to mentally slap himself. _What have I done?! Me and my big Loudred mouth, no thanks to the alcohol_,he thought. _I just told him my reasons, but he doesn't know my means._

"Between you and me, my friend," Wallace added, "I was there when you bribed Cynthia's supplier for berries, and you happened to use those berries for pies, right? I thought so."

"NOOOOOO!" Steven screamed, and he felt his throat crack. Wallace, though, seemed happy.

"Now, be a good man and tell the staff what they want to know," Wallace persuaded. "They all want to know what explanation you have when the two of you glared at each other this morning, or so I'm told."

"_I WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING!_" Steven roared.

"You _will_ tell them what happened," Wallace said, although he was trying very hard to hold back a fit of laughter. The opportunity was too good to pass. "Otherwise, I will do it for you."

Silence. Just as Wallace expected.

"I'll take that as a no, yeah?" Wallace asked. "You will tell me you said no, or you will say no!"

But on the other side of the cellar door, Steven was no longer near the door but away from it. Not that he was showing cowardice, but because he felt something was well out of place in here. Steven carefully walked around, while trying not to stumble over his own feet.

The idea was that there was missing wine from his cellar for certain, and Steven warranted this need investigation. However, with his mind clouded by alcohol fumes and a need for water, Steven could not think properly.

At some point as he wandered around, he found that his order of specially imported "ice wine" from a faraway land was missing as well. What happened?! Things were disappearing before his eyes! Was he hallucinating still?

"What's going on…?" Steven mumbled sleepily.

He fell to his knees on the wine cellar floor. No, he couldn't take this torture anymore, but he had to endure. It didn't help that Wallace had presented him with an ultimatum. It was either this, where Steven told the truth to James, Martine, and everyone else, or Wallace would do it. Between those two options, Steven figured they would both make him worse-off anyway.

"My wine supply is disappearing before my eyes…" he mumbled. "Maybe I am hallucinating."

However, in an instant, he felt a severe blow to his back and he crippled to the ground almost unconscious. The pain spread across his back and finally to every part of his body. Was he being burgled? Or was it a hallucination created from his insanity?

It didn't matter, though, because the pain was real. Steven's head fell to the ground, and his consciousness was kept alive for just the silhouette of a Pokémon looking around the wine cellar. It looked familiar, like a Garchomp who belonged to a fellow former Champion.

Steven blacked out.

* * *

**There we go! Review, and you'll have an order for a glass of crushed ice and Nomel. What a way to enjoy summer!**


	13. Confined to Whistle-blowing

**Woooooohooooo! I've finished my summer exam so I'm free to write! Truth be told, I've managed to get this chapter written in only a few days! Yay! That's a record! The chapter after this one is halfway done, so expect a very, very, quick update after!**

**Ahem, to business (pun not intended), The Legendary Falcon Fall, Anime Review's, and the Same honoured Guest, please enjoy a glass of fresh crushed ice and Nomel.**

**Anime Review's, you might as well have a stale macaron...**

**And TheOtherStormTalent! Am I supposed to give you a glass of crushed ice and Nomel for you AND dawnleaf1234?! How about two glasses?! Or just one?**

**Er... enjoy the quickly produced chapter!**

* * *

_**Chapter thirteen: Confined to Whistle-blowing**_

Afternoon had faded quickly into twilight, but that wasn't stopping Vue sur la Lune or La Lune de Chocolat from slowing business. The latter had become more popular than anticipated, and was Cynthia glad it was. The restaurant's side café had proven as popular as it always was. On the whole, the business was surviving.

Moreover, Cynthia saw to her supplier who was bribed by Steven. After the calamity at the Stone Bakery, the supplier was given a severe dressing down from both herself and the supplier's administrator, and Cynthia's fresh supply of foods resumed its course.

What did annoy Cynthia most, though, was that whenever she dropped by to see her café's progress, there was always the presence of the honey-conditioned Slateport cake from the bakery across the street. It felt wrong for Cynthia to be allowing customers to bring food from across the street, but it mattered not. For when she did ask them to go away, the customers would take their Slateport cakes to the square plaza outside, with their purchased coffees, and continue about their business.

The café would remain open for much of the night as usual, but Cynthia would not be there to oversee its duties, nor would she be able to help out with the chocolatier. No, the twilight signalled it was time to begin dinner hours. Food had to be prepared for the customer, and especially desserts. For Cynthia, she was already getting ingredients to prepare, but she also had untested ideas she wanted to implement tonight.

Among those ideas was the concept of a chocolate fondue. With the supplier bringing nothing but the best chocolate available (Cynthia hoped, if not wanting the supplier to be bribed again), and perhaps some specific wines, the chocolate fondue was expected to be a masterpiece.

Henri Matin already saw to the first of the guests with reservations take their seats. Looking outside from where he was, the glamourous sunshine was starting to set below the horizon. The skies were darkening, only fragilely held by the glimmer of sunset. The light was reflecting radiantly below the waters, and it was perfectly complemented with the night setting of Cyllage City. Streetlights began to glow and nighttime lightings were flickering alive everywhere.

That including the Stone Restaurant and Bistro across the street.

The first of guests took their seats, most of them near the windows, so they could observe the setting sun and the nighttime views of the city. For a restaurant that stood four stories high, it was the perfect place to have views of the great city. The Pokémon Centre, the streetlights, soothing view of ocean water and waves against the sand, and the radiant hotels made things breathtaking.

From Henri's current and past experience with Cyllage City, the area had seen good development of its economy. L'Hôtel Cyllage, initially a single-floored structure, had been developed and modernised to accommodate the rising demand of visitors to the city along with rising competition. This led to the café beside the hotel to expand its supplies and resources to keep up with L'Hôtel Cyllage's customers, and within weeks the city was prospering.

Museums were built as tourist attractions, most part due to the rich minerals and ores around the city, and they became popular with locals and foreigners alike. In only a matter of time, the Stone Restaurant and Bistro was constructed near the seaside, and that was the beginning of Cyllage's prestige of having first-class dining that could rival Lumiose City's.

Subsequently, Vue sur la Lune was constructed across from the Stone Bistro. This was how Henri had landed his job here, as a waiter. At first, he seemed to enjoy the atmosphere at the restaurant very nicely. His co-workers were friendly, the customers appreciated his service, and Cynthia was practically the best manager he had since his days working in Lumiose City. But at this point, he was sure something felt considerably different about his manager. However, Henri remained silent about the issue as business was picking up. He would have to discuss the issue later. For the time being, it was better off to focus on serving the customer.

Many more customers arrived. Henri saw to leading a group of four to their table and asking what they would like to drink. Meanwhile, his co-workers went about serving fresh salads and creamy soups as _hors d'oevres _(appetizers). What many looked forward to, Henri was sure, were the desserts Cynthia had in store for them.

To be honest, Henri hadn't seen Cynthia outside of the kitchens for at least six hours. Never stopping to rest, never stopping to eat (well, maybe not, given she worked constantly in the kitchen). There was a good reason, however, and it only came to when he had a word with one of the cooks.

"It's not like Ms. Cynthia to _not_ be out here greeting the guests," Henri said. "I mean, I know it's busy, but it's not _that_ busy."

"Well, whatever she's up to," the cook replied, "she's experimenting with a new recipe and she's hoping it will be ready before the first dessert order comes in."

* * *

To the relief of James d'Arc, the typical business flow the Stone Bistro normally experienced had slowed down for the night. It was a good thing, too, for James could tell the cooking staff – while heavily experienced in culinary arts – could not match the pace of Steven. Although Steven expected his subordinates to be autonomous, they still needed to model their efforts after Steven since it was he who knew the recipes inside out.

Nevertheless, despite the slow flow, James and the others were committed to providing excellent service to the customer. Most often, the customers ordered a Stone Accolade, which was an outcry to James since the Accolade was often prepared by Steven alone. But given the countless hours of experience the cooks had with making it, perhaps they could do without Steven for the night. Especially when Steven was locked away in the cellar.

As the flat stones were placed into the ovens to be baked, James started working on the dish that made the restaurant so famous, beginning with mushrooms, spices, onions, and peppers cooked with garlic and olive oil. The iconic aged blue cheese core had arrived fresh from the freezer and the rice flour envelope was ready to be used. All James needed to do was cook the vegetables as perfectly as he could, while other cooks handled cutting slices of the roast beef and readying onion au jus. Food orders came in steadily, so the food that came out of the kitchens collected by the servers.

As the relatively quiet Stone Bistro was enjoying a quiet atmosphere such that customers could be seen watching the glamourous sunset in first-class comfort, the same couldn't be said for the bar below. It was a hot day in Cyllage City, and the locals and tourists knew there were only three places that suited best for something cold. The first was the local Cyllage café, the second was at Vue sur la Lune's café, and the third was at the Stone Bistro's bar.

Because the Stone Bistro's bar had a light dinner option, that would be the best option for the night. As a result, many who went there ordered ice cold cocktails, beers, non-alcohols, crushed ice with a choice of berry or juice, or simply water.

And at the bar, Wallace was enjoying a quiet dinner of salad with a side of bread and water. He hadn't left the bar for some time (the barman and Metagross noticed this), but he was in no hurry to leave. If Steven wasn't going to talk, Wallace would do the talking for him. However, being the flamboyant he always was, he gave up on waiting and signalled for the barman over.

"Anything else you need, Mr. Wallace?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing!" Wallace answered. "Although…"

"Yes?" Now the barman seemed annoyed. Wallace had just signalled him to come over, and now he says there was nothing he needed? What sort of madness was this? The barman was polite, as the company culture trained him to be.

"I could tell you what Steven had in mind," Wallace offered. "But on the very one condition that I get a free drink and I get a word with Martine about this as well."

The barman knew that just about every employee working at the Stone Bistro, let alone James who was administrator, were trying their best to get at whatever Steven was keeping from them. If this was a breakthrough, then the news was sure to spread to everyone very quickly. Every employee would know what was going on with their boss.

"There's no need to tell Martine this," he said. "Whatever you're going to tell us, everyone will know. That is, Martine, James, and the others."

The sly smile Wallace wore on only few occasions crept onto his face.

"Let's start with the day Steven opened the Stone Bakery…"

* * *

It was exactly nightfall when Sophie had accepted a group of four customers into the Stone Restaurant and Bistro for dinner. Laurent was in the middle of a phone call assisting more reservations for people who wanted to arrive in about two hours, as well as taking more reservations from people who walked to the lobby desk from the word go. Those who were finished making reservations sat aside at one of the lobby's lounges while others still lined up.

"Welcome to the Stone Restaurant and Bistro…" Sophie greeted.

"Hold that thought," Laurent said into the phone before putting it down. "Please follow this waitress over here. She'll show you to your seat. Hello? Hello? (Laurent picked up the phone again) Yeah, I have your reservation complete… You're booked for 8:00 PM… You're very welcome. See you tonight."

As soon as Laurent hung up the phone, the same phone rang again. As usual, he picked up the phone to greet, "_Bonsoir, mademoiselle, c'est le Restaurant Stone et Bistro_…"

Sophie's phone also rang at the same time, but unlike Laurent the phone indicated that the caller was from within the restaurant walls. It was obvious that a fellow employee was calling the front desk, so Sophie answered without delay.

"Hello?"

Whatever context she heard from the other side quickly replaced her work attitude to one of enlightenment. She ended up almost forgetting she had to see to the customer until Laurent pointed out to Sophie that the customers were waiting. Quickly, Martine hung up the phone and saw to taking in more reservations. Although the pace was steady, there were still a lot of people wanting to eat here, and two experienced receptionists were what stood between them and their seats.

In Sophie's eyes, the flow of customers was good, but she hoped there wouldn't be too many more to come. Despite how well she was performing her duties, she had to break down the news to Laurent and the servers about Steven.

As fortune would have it, all the customers present were waiting at the lounges for their tables. With no phone calls incoming, nor any customers coming through the doors, Sophie took the opportunity to talk.

"Well, the barman's just called us," she reported to Laurent. "He says Steven has finally started to talk at last."

"Well, isn't that good news?" Laurent raised his eyebrows. "It's about time. His answer was way overdue. Apart from that group for the 8 PM booking, I don't see any more customers making reservations. Perhaps we should drop by the bar to see what's going on?"

"That's what the barman said…" Sophie muttered.

Laurent noticed Sophie's slightly annoyed reaction, so he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing the latter to flinch. "Hey, we're all interested to see what the boss is keeping from us. We might even need to have the whole staff to drop by the bar. Everyone will be interested. Even James."

She smiled and did not let Laurent's hand remain on her shoulder much longer, although she showed some restraint afterward. The two receptionists carried on working, but when things slowed down a lot they would have to check out the bar sooner or later…

* * *

The first customers to experience Cynthia's new chocolate fondue were met with pleasant surprise when the head chef herself personally when to present the fondue to them. Using a fondue pot, a delicate burner to match, chocolate, and fuel, she lit the burner underneath the pot to put on a show for every guest who was there.

In essence, every guest was interested to see what Cynthia was doing. She melted the chocolate into the pot, stirred it until it was just right, and then proceeded to adding a bit of wine into to mixture. In the customers' eyes, it was a wine they had never seen or tasted before in their experience at Vue sur la Lune. Had Cynthia been keeping secrets?

"Ms. Cynthia! I've never seen such a wine!" the customer remarked. "It's so… old!"

"Not in the slightest," Cynthia replied, although she didn't take time to examine the bottle she had in her hand until she pulled off the rubber-sealed cap and poured a decent amount of wine into the fondue. The bottle was then passed to Henri Matin, standing beside her, who pumped the air out of the bottle via a pump and the rubber cap before he took the bottle away. Cynthia was left creating the fondue until the chocolate had melted just right.

When she was done, she speared two apple slices on the arranged plate for the customer, dipped them into the hot molten chocolate and passed them to the customer. The chocolate was on the verge of dripping onto the table.

"_Bon appetit_," she said to the customers before her, with a sigh of relief.

The customers suddenly became self-conscious of the number of people who were watching them. At their discretion, trying hard to not notice them, they tasted the delicious chocolate fondue. Created, produced, and improvised by Cynthia.

Their reactions, to Cynthia's relief, were ones of tasting pleasure. This caused the many other customers to turn to their servers and ask for the same fondue for dessert. Out of the corners of Cynthia's eyes, she noticed almost everyone point in her direction and she knew the fondue was a candidate for success.

_And it's all thanks to his wine_, she absentmindedly thought. _Argh, Cynthia, pull it together! His wine made me successful, so why stop there?_

The problem was that her supply of this wine was limited, but it didn't matter to her. As far as she was concerned, she could – if she had time – claim that this fondue was a weekly special. What mattered at this point was keeping the fondue as a promotion for now.

Other servers took Cynthia as a reference for helping their tables with respective fondues. As the wine was limited, they had to share the bottles between them, but that still made the customers very happy. Cynthia alone cautioned how hot the chocolate would be, and then she left for the kitchens once more.

She walked past tables where customers were extremely happy to have been served their dessert, but Cynthia wasn't looking at them, and instead focused her gaze on the restaurant across the street. The Stone Restaurant and Bistro seemed to be operating lively enough, but certainly not as lively Vue sur la Lune was experiencing tonight. In her bones, Cynthia knew the chef she was before, at the opening of her restaurant, was different than the chef she was now. She had thrown herself into a price war with the chef across. What mattered was surviving.

"Hey, Cynthia, do you mind if we could chat a bit?" she heard.

Cynthia's eyes darted to the familiar voice to see Winona and Lisia looking right at her. Their faces were demonstrating curiosity.

* * *

**And so, Steven is still locked away unable to talk. How will this turn out?**

**Review and place your order for a chocolate fondue, served with berries, cooked with one of _his_ wines...**

**If you're feeling guilty, though, just order a chocolate fondue without one of _his_ wines.**


	14. Enactive Romance

**Here's the rapidly published chapter as promised! For The Legendary Falcon Fall, here's a chocolate fondue without wine. InfernusXS, it's been a while! Have two fondues, you greedy! One with wine and one without. As for Anime Review's, here's a fondue with wine...**

**I'll admit, I never thought about adding Diantha in this story!**

* * *

_**Chapter fourteen: Enactive Romance**_

Sophie, on the whole, got her wish.

Initially, there were a decent amount of customers who had lined up for reservations, but at some point a small group of people – likely friends of the customers – had said something that changed the latter. Afterwards, a huge chunk of the waiting line was gone and away. The motion spread like a pandemic and very soon, within half an hour, the lobby was virtually emptied. No customer remained, save for those waiting at the lounge.

"I think we have time now," Sophie muttered. "I'll head to the bar ahead of you, okay, Laurent?"

"Sounds like a plan," Laurent replied without looking at her. He had to deal with both the incoming customers who made their reservations by phone call and the customers waiting in the lounge. It didn't take long before he signaled them to follow one of the waitresses standing near the stairs.

The customers eventually followed the waitress to the ground level tables, and as it happened Sophie made her way to the bar. Laurent would be able to handle the remaining reservations on his own, and when Sophie had time she would call Laurent to check up on Steven too.

She was about to leave the lobby when Laurent pointed out, "He will not be happy when he hears we've lost about three reservations tonight."

"I think he's as miserable enough already," Sophie grinned. "We'll break down the news to him later."

She entered the bar where Wallace, that colourful friend of Steven's, was chatting with the barman and several other servers. Sophie found this odd, as she expected Steven to be present and talking, and not Wallace. Was Steven still locked up in the wine cellar? Also, a handful of servers were present at the bar, including Martine Grenadine. If nothing else, James d'Arc was seated right beside Wallace.

"Ah, Sophie, there you are," the barman greeted, but his expression fell a little. "Say, isn't Laurent going to join us as well?"

"He'll be coming," Sophie replied. "Let's wait until he comes, yeah?"

"He'll be missing out, then!" Wallace called. He then had a very good look at Sophie. Head to toe. As a receptionist, she would have modestly qualified as one who was very attractive (but for Wallace, Winona certainly outshone her). "Say, you're Sophie, right? Have you ever thought about pursuing a relationship?"

The reactions that showed on Sophie's face, along with _everyone else present_, were – to Wallace's satisfaction – priceless.

_So sudden…_ Martine thought.

"I don't now would be the time –" Sophie started. Her face began to blush.

"There's _always_ time," Wallace interrupted. "So, who's the lucky man?"

It was so much easier, so simple, to get his words around someone like Sophie. Steven was a very hard one to talk about pursuing a relationship, so Wallace took the pleasure of tormenting Steven's workers. So far, he was getting very good results with this attractive receptionist. Perhaps he could try this with Martine – No, he better not. In these circumstances, Martine was an ally.

"Are we here to talk about Steven or what?!" Sophie shot back. She couldn't help it. She had to turn her face away to avoid further embarrassment. Afterward, she went to the barman to get a glass of crushed ice and Rawst. Something bitter would get her mind off of things.

Wallace ended his pleasant torment and turned to face James, who merely glared at him. No matter. Wallace was used to getting death glares from Steven on a regular basis, anyway. Moreover, the handsome male receptionist, Laurent, made his appearance into the bar in time.

"Ah, this must be him," Wallace said loud enough for everyone to hear, such that Sophie heaved a sigh of grief. "Okay, gather around, my children."

Some sat down, and others preferred standing.

"For all I know, Steven is still locked up in the wine cellar not willing to talk," Wallace began. "He's keeping something from you, and you want to know what it is…"

"Get to the point, Wallace. We've waited too long," James muttered.

Soon enough, everyone's eyes were fixed on Wallace. Now that he was in the spotlight, he decided to hold nothing back now. They had to know. The barman already knew, so it only made sense for everyone else. But what good would that do to their morale and Steven's business? Oh well, that would be their problem.

"Let's start with the day you were selling pies at the bakery," Wallace began, then paused to gather his thoughts, and added, "ever wondered why your pies tasted so good? Steven will never tell you he got his ingredients from Cynthia. He _bribed_ her supplier, you know. He paid them to deliver all the ingredients to your bakery, none for Cynthia, and here we are! I know that Steven deeply cares for her, maybe too much, that he's acting as if he didn't."

Whatever words that came out, Wallace was pleased with the effect. He had stunned the staff of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro in one swoop. He cleared his throat.

"And so, as you've told me, you saw the two lovebirds glare at each other this morning," Wallace added, and putting huge emphasis on the 'lovebirds' part. "Well, you could say Cynthia's angry at my friend Steven for bribing, and Steven is angry at her for reasons unknown."

"Right, then. I'd best be going…" he stood up, handed a stack of cash to the barman to pay for his meal, and was on his way out. This didn't cause so much difference in the atmosphere though, because everyone was still standing in shock – except for the barman and Martine.

Martine, in particular, cleared _her_ throat after Wallace had left the bar. She faced James and the barman, saying, "I guess we can let the boss out of the cellar. He must be _dying_ of thirst right now."

* * *

"Right."

That was the only reply Lisia got when she asked Cynthia exactly that. That if she had experienced a loss of supplies. Cynthia's reply was cold and not entirely pleasant either. Whatever Cynthia had going through her mind, Winona thought, it was almost certainly betrayal and she was surprised herself.

"Are you telling me, Lisia, that a colleague of Cynthia's actually attacked her financially? By this, I mean Steven?" Winona's voice seemed timid, since she didn't want to anger Cynthia any further. But Lisia knew enough that Cynthia was angry to begin with, as she had recognised the berries in the pie she tasted two days ago.

"Sort of. Cynthia knows what I mean," Lisia softly said. "Don't take it the wrong way, Cynthia. I'm sure it was nothing personal."

Cynthia sighed deeply.

_That's a notion of guilt_, Winona thought intuitively.

"On the other hand, this fondue is delicious," Winona commented. "That wine you added certainly brought out the flavour for sure! It's a wonder why you didn't think about this earlier!"

The response was a dejected face from the head chef Cynthia, such that Winona ended up looking sympathetic. She could have smiled more, but this was all she could manage as she said, "I probably should have… But I needed the right resources, you know. Don't worry about the bribe though, Winona. I've got it settled."

Winona was hoping Cynthia wouldn't dive back into the topic of Steven's bribery, but if Cynthia assured there was no need for concern, then it should be a minor worry then. Nothing more. However, it still bothered her that Cynthia was not behaving as optimistic as before. At least Cynthia bothered making new foods and such, but still. Speaking of which, Winona's fondue burner had burned out, and the chocolate was only about to cool down. To make the most of it, she dipped a berry into it before popping it in her mouth. There wasn't much to say now.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Winona asked the head chef once more. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Cynthia answered with some degree of finality, "but thanks anyway, Winona."

"You sound guilty," Winona added, causing Cynthia to perk.

"I –" Cynthia stuttered. She was at a loss for words, which was enough for Winona to interpret what Cynthia was getting at. If anything, it might have had to do with the dejection she saw just now.

But before either Winona or Lisia could say something, the waiter Henri Matin briefly appeared by Cynthia's side to speak some words into her ear, and the next thing Winona saw was Cynthia getting up.

"It appears I've just got a huge flow of customers coming in," she said. "Can't talk now, but how would you like a cheesecake on me? It's a new recipe of mine: the Unova cheesecake."

Lisia grinned at Winona, and the latter – seeing how similar this young woman compared to Wallace – merely nodded to Cynthia. When Cynthia walked away, though, Lisia's grin became even wider.

"Come on…" Lisia lowered her voice. "Winona, you don't want to miss out!"

Winona found this logic irrational. "Wishful thinking doesn't make it true, Lisia. I have every reason not to have cheesecake. Besides, I have fondue, and we still have chocolate at our hotel, right? I think I could do with a Slateport cake, though."

"_Fine…_" Lisia groaned. "Let's save your cheesecake for my uncle!"

* * *

"Okay, it's time to let him out now, Metagross," James told the Pokémon. "I think it's time you take a rest too."

At long last, after so many enduring hours, the wine cellar door was opened. Metagross, who had been standing guard to keep his master locked up, finally moved aside for the barman to unlock the door. Martine and the others followed closely.

The door opened slowly, and instantly the smell of alcohol and fine wines wafted out of the room…

"Steven? It's time to come out now!" James called.

"Boss? Boss!" Martine called also, but she was first to walk into the cellar to look for Steven. Upon walking into the cellar, though, she had never felt this dizzy and turned to the barman. "Does it always smell this strong here?"

The barman did not answer but followed Martine inside to take a good look at the situation. Normally, with bright enough lights and strong casing, there was no way the wine fumes could have circulated around the cellar. Not unless someone was crazy enough to smash the wine bottles, which was absurd.

And yet, there was Steven Stone, lying on the floor as if he were dead.

"Steven? Steven!" James shouted and along with Martine was the first to see to him. "Speak to me! Open your eyes! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

"Come on, boss! Wake up!" Martine added in. "Don't even think about getting close to the light! If you SEE IT, don't go NEAR IT!"

"JUST HOLD ON!" James elevated to yelling. "OPEN YOUR EYES, STEVEN!"

Laurent seemed closed to laughing, and so was Sophie. For one moment, they were all deeply against Steven and locked him up like a prisoner (and in some respect, he was), and now his two closest associates were treating him like he was dead – departed from the world.

"Oh, Laurent!" Sophie could not hold back her laughter, and soon enough it burst out. "This is priceless!"

While James kept on yelling at Steven to open his eyes, Martine kept trying to shake him awake. She had both hands on his shoulders and she shook him rigorously. However, Steven was still knocked out, but from what? Eventually, the barman – who had tons of experience dealing with partially drunken customers – went to check up on Steven. The first thing he did was move Martine and James away so he could look at the boss.

"He's… drunk, I guess," the barman concluded. "Probably because of the wine fumes, although seriously I don't know how we could have spilled any wine since they're so well kept."

Martine and the servers, though, had experience working with the wine cellar. The wines were kept in glass casing stretching from floor to ceiling. They were secure and specially designed to withstand impact, and not even the force of a hundred Giga Impacts could cause the wines to spill, crack, or smash! Yet it was very clear that there was spilled wine on the floor… and some broken glass.

James and Martine, assured of Steven's survival, quietly stood up and backed away only to realise what a scene they made. If not Laurent and Sophie who were laughing very, very, hard, everyone else seemed on the verge of bursting into laughter.

"It's not funny!" James puffed. "Metagross, go and take Steven home, okay? We can handle operating the restaurant from here."

"No!" the barman interrupted before Metagross could move. "As far as I'm concerned, Steven hasn't eaten or drunk anything since this morning! He should have a good meal and water before he leaves! Metagross, go take him to his office."

Metagross gave a low, rumbling, echo, and sought to carry its master away from the cellar and to the office. There was no need to rest at the lounge since no customer would _want_ to see the dignified chef appearing unconscious on his own premises. It would be, in Steven's words, a severe blow to the business. Using Psychic to levitate him off the ground, Metagross floated away and out of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro.

But as sous chef, James' business wasn't finished.

"It seems that either Steven might have had a bit too much to drink, he got knocked out, or that he simply passed out from the fumes," he remarked. "Anyway, I want any servers who aren't busy to clean up the mess here…"

"_Et vous deux…_" James pointed directly at Sophie and Laurent, who were still laughing hysterically. "Go back to work."

"He said 'open your eyes', as if he were _that_ scared!" Laurent laughed.

"I know right?! And Martine was like 'stay away from the light', like Steven was dying!" Sophie added, her face overwhelmed by amusement. "If only Steven knew –"

"_ARRÊTEZ!_" James roared, but to his massive frustration Laurent and Sophie weren't intimidated. After the yell, the two receptionists casually walked back to the lobby still chatting away as if they were old friends. More or less.

When they had made off from the bar, James saw to getting back to the kitchens. If the restaurant was getting any busier, which he doubted, he would be needed back there. But it was well into the night and many customers had already finished dinner.

Speaking of customers…

"Hey, Laurent," James said as he passed by the lobby, his voice normal but slightly raspy. "Did we have any more customers come?"

"_Oui, chef_," Laurent answered. "We've got one more group coming, and that'll be it. I'd like to point out that we lost three reservations tonight, though. The customers were lining up in the lobby when they suddenly took off. Now don't ask me how, but it just happened."

"That's all I'm asking for," James complimented. Taking the advice of the barman, he instructed to the fellow cooks, "See that we have a decent meal prepared for the chef – let's say, onion soup and bread should do the trick, and –" he looked to the barman, "– see that he gets a helping of water when he wakes up. Now we all know that Steven's smart enough to not drink while he's locked up, but he'll be dehydrated for sure."

Martine stayed behind to comprehend the details.

_Wait… so he tried to prove to me he doesn't love her by simply doing this_, she thought. _Well, that's definitely his loss! I guess love has its price!_

Oh, of all the things she could chat to Lisia about this…

"Martine, now's not the time to slack off," James reminded her, and bringing the axe on her thoughts. "We have one more group coming in tonight, as I'm sure Laurent and Sophie have told you."

She didn't answer, but nodded before returning to her job.

* * *

Winona still refused to touch her cheesecake because she had no appetite for any, but Lisia on the other hand ate hers in delight. Like the girl she was, she avoided eating too much in order to keep up with her form, but Cynthia's desserts were simply too top-rate to miss out, particularly when they were having it for free.

"I'm fine, really," Winona insisted, whilst pushing the small plate of Unova cheesecake away. Lisia wasn't having any of this and her eyes flamed.

"If you don't eat your cheesecake, I'll have my uncle force you to eat it!" she threatened. "It's creamy and has a taste of Unova in it! You – don't – want – to miss out!"

Winona ended up laughing. There was no way Wallace would be able to force her to eat the cheesecake, not since Wallace had decided not to join them for breakfast. Moreover, Winona merely assumed that Wallace was still sleeping in.

Until now. Wallace walked to the table to greet his girlfriend first, and then his niece.

"Where have you been?" Winona asked. She was partly annoyed that Wallace had decided to show up now, especially when he had practically avoided her for most of the day.

"Helping out a friend in need," Wallace answered, thinking back to what he did at the Stone Bistro. The thoughts immediately dissipated when he noticed the Unova cheesecake before him. "My dear, Winona, why haven't you eaten your dessert?"

He realised that might have been the wrong thing to say when he saw Winona's eyes flare up. Judging by the expression, Winona looked like she was about to bring the axe onto Wallace again – in the form of a punch in the face. On instinct, Wallace took the seat beside Winona to try to restrain her. Indeed, Winona did bring up a fist, but Wallace acted quickly enough to stop her with one hand. With his free hand, he picked up a fork to take a bite of the Unova cheesecake.

"Mmm…" Wallace grinned. "Now this is something! You should have a bit too, my dear!"

Winona still refused. "I'm fine! I don't need cheesecake! Mmph?!"

But her words were cut off when Wallace pressed his lips on hers, shocking Winona. Because of this shock, the embrace was held for at least ten whole seconds – and enough to make Lisia's jaw drop. Yes, ten seconds. That was a long time for a kiss! Not that it felt awkward, but she became a little self-conscious that this was her _uncle_. No, that that made it awkward alright.

Around the table, Lisia noticed the people who noticed the number of people – at least four tables – merely glance at the scene for the same time. Lisia looked at her uncle – he was still kissing Winona! His eyes – and Winona's! – closed! It became more awkward when he put down the fork so wrap an arm around Winona –

"Uncle! Please! This is –" Lisia blushed, while putting her hands on her head. "Not now, please! Gosh! Please!"

They did not part at all, so Lisia buried her head into the table. She could not figure what was the best course of action for her right now. It would have been polite enough to plead for Wallace to stop, but no – this was not the case.

For Lisia, she felt like screaming inside. If she could, she would have screamed loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear. However, there had to be a way to separate them. Wallace and Winona facing each other like it was their first serious date. For this reason, Lisia kept her head down.

"Ah, am I interrupting something?" Lisia heard Cynthia say above her.

Winona's eyes opened spontaneously upon hearing Cynthia. She parted from Wallace's embrace only to stare at the table – more specifically at the Unova cheesecake.

"No, no, not at all," Wallace assured, saying that as if nothing happened. For Winona, it didn't help knowing that the people around them watched the scene unfold like this. Vue sur la Lune's head chef stopping by to check on some unsuspecting couple. That was unusual.

Cynthia grinned. "I thought I'd check on what you thought of my Unova cheesecake."

"Is that_ envy_ I see in your eyes?" Wallace asked, deciding to disregard Cynthia's point. "You must want a boyfriend by now, you know…"

Cynthia's grin faded out, and replaced by a scowl. Like the many glares he got, Wallace was perfectly used to this. Clearly, Cynthia could not manage to say a word because Wallace had simply had the hammer down.

Whatever thoughts they had, though, were disrupted by Winona. Winona let out a huge sigh with her elbows on the table, while staring off into space. Judging from her expression, she was infatuated, completely lost in thought. It seemed to annoy Cynthia, but Winona didn't care nor did she have a care in the world right now – her mind was lost in infatuation.

Eventually, Cynthia walked away back to the kitchens. She didn't know why she felt strange when she arrived, but she did feel slightly better. It was as if a small weight had been lifted from her shoulders, even though for her this didn't make sense. However, she did feel a tinge of emptiness within her, as though she was jealous. Wait, didn't Wallace just say that?

On the other hand, Winona slowly reached for her plate of Unova cheesecake. She had an appetite for dessert now.

"I have to say, this is really, really, good!" she commented.

Wallace smiled. But Lisia, who should have been happy to see her uncle's girlfriend test the cheesecake, found the feeling was very different from earlier. In stark contrast, she looked down at the table and remained silent.

* * *

**I could not have gone through that last part of the chapter without smiling the whole way through...**

**Did anyone notice the other Fire Emblem reference I put in here? It happens with Steven!**

**Please, enjoy a Unova cheesecake as you wait for the next chapter! Place an order via review.**


	15. A Place of Mind

**I. Am. BACK! Yes! Finally! A new chapter awaits after being away for a month! Although to be fair, I _did_ complete my summer term, and I'm back to being a _full-time student_. So, therefore, expect more monthly updates for now, but if I have downtime, I won't complain writing more.**

**Thanks for the orders! For The Legendary Falcon Fall, Anime Review's, stoke66, and That honoured Same Guest, please treat yourselves to a slice of Unova cheesecake. Maybe I'll set aside a slice for UCCMaster, and a macaron!**

**Now... THIS... is a very long chapter to compensate for the school term that is to come...**

* * *

_**Chapter fifteen: A Place of Mind**_

Martine Grenadine was certain her boss was a victim of a romantic cliché.

To quote her boss, Martine thought, if there really was an author somewhere working away at his computer and deciding how Steven's love life would look, it was falling into a cliché. The classic love-hate relation was too much.

The following morning, it became even more obvious to her when Steven called a meeting with his staff to discuss what happened the previous night. His appearance was shabby, given Metagross had to take care of him while the head chef slept in his own office overnight. By the time morning arrived, Steven called a meeting with his staff. His trademark suit was all crinkly and in desperate need for ironing.

By the time he called the meeting, there were only two reactions he got from the staff: either they were concerned or appalled at Steven's gruff appearance or they were amused at the appearance of their 'professional' administrator.

So far, in addressing his staff, Steven insisted that the wine cellar was broken into by a Garchomp most likely belonging to Cynthia. Martine wasn't surprised to see that no one believed him.

"You're just fueling more fire into your relationship by saying exactly this," Martine insisted.

Steven's face became red. "I'm not fueling any fire!"

But at least he didn't deny it. Moreover, James made a point. "You were most likely hallucinating. How could a Garchomp break into the wine cellar? And furthermore, stealing our wine and knocking you out? Not possible. The best explanation is that you were drunk and you likely smashed a bottle or two yourself."

Steven's face was still red. "I'm telling the truth! Come on!"

He may have been the administrator, but in the past weeks since Cynthia had taken up shop across the street, things at the Stone Bistro were getting difficult to manage. In other words, the restaurant was undergoing some sort of _rebellion_… and it was – Steven blamed – all because of her!

James d'Arc, along with everyone else, went to the heart of the matter.

"There's also the fact that, in light of what Wallace has told us, we all question your ethics, Steven," he said. "Just how could you bribe Cynthia's supplier?"

They were at the bar again, with Steven sitting at one of the tables with a pitcher of water in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He had never felt this thirsty in his life. Alongside, Martine served him a decent breakfast: a specialty soup of the Stone Bistro, a fresh Chansey egg, and toast with butter.

"As co-administrator," James declared, "this behaviour has to stop. It's for the good of the establishment, and your reputation. Tell us, Steven, what has gotten into you?"

Steven only chewed on his toast. He was in no mood to talk, so he kept eating. However, being the people who knew about the ongoing tension between him and Cynthia, the staff didn't need to second guess. James alone had made some precautionary measures against Steven, just in case.

"For today, Steven, I think you'd be better off taking a rest at home. Take the day off," James ordered. As he would expect, Steven wasn't pleased to hear that. "Look, we all know you're capable of handling the restaurant, for sure, but in your current state – like it or not – you're not really the most pleasant man to be around for the day. When you're feeling better, we'll see you in the morning as usual."

In the world of business, Steven was trained to know how to manage conflicts and negotiation, and there were a few options he could choose to settle _this_ conflict. Knowing he was at fault, he had no choice but to yield.

"I understand…" he muttered.

"Then finish your breakfast," James concluded, standing up. "Head home, have a shower, and get your suit ironed. We don't want a boss who looks in bad form when he goes to work."

James and several cooks went away first, followed by some servers. Martine alone remained to watch her boss eat his breakfast, and she was eager to pester him with more questions when he was done. Sophie stayed to enjoy a morning juice, but Laurent had already left for the lobby to be sure if more customers had arrived.

"_Tiens_, barman, _je voudrais un sirop de grenadine, s'il vous plaît_," Martine asked.

The barman nodded and went to fetch the red bottle. Growing up as a kid, Martine was fascinated to find a drink that shared the same name as hers. Once she tried it for the first time, it became her favourite drink. Its iconic red colour and taste, produced from the freshest berries in Kalos, was complementary to her then-auburn hair, and now the colour matched her red hair.

Steven briefly looked up to see the barman carry the glass over to Martine before looking back at his food. It was clearly uncomfortable to eat with the many eyes looking at him. Slowly, he went for eating the Chansey egg.

Martine, on the other hand, picked up her glass of _sirop de grenadine_ and sipped just a bit of it.

* * *

By the time the barman had cleaned up Steven's dishes, Steven was already in his office packing some of his books and accounting records away into his briefcase. If he wasn't going to be cooking for the day, nor would he be able to work in his office, he might as well being doing office work at home. Perhaps he was wrong, that he should be taking some rest.

Cyllage City was a seaside location, but it was also known for its rocky surroundings. Ever since Cynthia had taken up shop across the street, Steven hardly had time to revisit the vast surroundings to explore for stones. At his current Cyllage home where he stayed, he kept an Explorer Kit as a memento of his travels in Sinnoh. He hardly had time to use it when he entered the restaurant business, so he supposed now was the time.

The files and papers were in place, so all Steven had to do was, apart from packing up his briefcase, put away some of his pens and spare papers into his drawer. But when he did open the drawer, he cringed.

A copy of the popular Kalos magazine was in there, and still there. It still carried the image of him and Cynthia at Vue sur la Lune and the same 'Apples and Oranges' title. The image still scarred him, perhaps for life, so Steven began to wonder why the magazine was there. Why _should_ he bother with keeping this magazine? Steven began to question what the point here was. Not that he had anything personal, right? The magazine was there because he _wanted_ to keep it. This was the same magazine he had shown Martine, and how he blamed her for causing this.

He placed the magazine in front of him to read the title once more. Now that the impression of him and Cynthia became public, Steven became less sure if his performance was sustainable. Public pressure wasn't what he was expecting, and he certainly wasn't going to conform to their expectations, nor Martine's nor Wallace's nor Lisia's, that he'll end up in a romantic relationship with Cynthia. That would be a self-fulfilling prophecy, and Steven wasn't going to conform to that. He still wondered why he hadn't thrown out this magazine in the bin like he did with Cynthia's vouchers – with which Martine dug up and dragged him to dinner across the street.

That reminded him, he should seriously start considering adding deductions to Martine's paycheque.

_I wonder how she's feeling right now,_ Steven thought. If he was in Cynthia's shoes, how would he have acted?

And… speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Well, in this case, a she. The door opened with Martine walking right in.

"Hi, boss."

Suddenly self-conscious that he still had the magazine in his hands, Steven swiftly slipped the magazine into the drawer. However, as much as Martine couldn't see the magazine, she could still hear the sounds of Steven trying to force some sort of object.

"What are you – hey, boss, what you up to?" she asked, smartly.

"Nothing," Steven's response was automatic.

Martine smiled her usual smile. As she walked in, she placed a cup of coffee on the desk but also took note of Steven's expressions. The way she saw him now he was in his office, he looked terrible. His hair was messy, for one, the tired eyes, the unwashed face, the crinkled suit. The lot.

"Thought you could use a shot of caffeine today," she suggested, before going on to say, "By the way, while you were knocked out last night, Laurent reported that we had a huge number of guests who cancelled their reservations for some reason. As one of our servers witnessed, they went to Vue sur la Lune to try out a new dessert."

Steven hung his head, but Martine could still sense the disappointment in his voice. "Right… and this is supposed to help me?"

"The coffee is supposed to help. You're still very sleepy, so nothing like a shot of this'll hurt," Martine answered. "Yeah, I suppose this is a little payback for what you did to Cynthia, eh? You attack her firm, and that firm is building upon your failure. Go home, boss, and get some rest."

Steven raised his head to look at her, sharply.

"Are you here to merely gloat at me?" he said. He picked up the coffee to sip it, and tasting the familiar bitterness of fresh coffee with the right amount of milk and sugar the way he liked it. Martine, along with basically every server, knew him well enough to know how he liked his coffee.

Martine shrugged. "No, it's just that while you were knocked out, Sophie got a phone call this morning that a regionally-renowned actress is having dinner here tonight. She's pure class and popular, I'll give you that, and we're hoping that our restaurant boss will be in top form when he comes tonight to greet her."

Upon hearing that, Steven's expressions eased. He finished packing his things, as well as finishing the coffee, before leaving his office. He was tired, perhaps too tired, that he didn't lock the door. After all, there was the prospect of a celebrity staying for dinner. When he had more time, after he had rested up, he would have to see who exactly was staying for dinner.

"Just make sure we have the appropriate tables set up for our guest tonight," he instructed. "Get the usual procedure done as usual, _oui_?"

"_Oui, je comprends. Nous le ferons bientôt_," Martine answered. In her bones, she had really wanted to find out what her boss was hiding. She heard the sound, but never got to see what it was. From this perspective, Steven was keeping another secret from the staff. Given Steven's state, persuasion wasn't going to work this time, but for the time being she had to focus on getting things ready for tonight.

By the time Steven had locked the door to his office, Martine was on her way back to the dining areas.

"Come on, just ask her out already," Martine said. "If you need to talk about it, I'm always up for a chat."

* * *

Rather than heading home straight away, Steven stopped by to pick up a pastry from his bakery; specifically, a Slateport cake. As head chef, it was natural for his employees to give it to him for free. Afterwards, he walked out of the bakery to welcome the salty ocean air that filled Cyllage City every day.

"Metagross, what do you think?" he asked his Pokémon. It wasn't as if Metagross didn't have an idea what was going on in Steven's mind. As a Pokémon who had the capacity of minds, Metagross was highly intelligent, so it didn't take too long for it to decipher what its master had in mind. Needless to say Metagross had figured out Steven's motives three days ago.

"_Meta_," it rumbled indifferently.

"Yeah, I know," Steven said, whilst walking past the infamous plaza he had heard so much about. As usual, people were buying bread and pastries from the Stone Bakery, and coffee and tea from Vue sur la Lune's café. What Steven had in mind was if he was going to see what the plaza's atmosphere was like, he better buy a coffee from Vue sur la Lune at his discretion, of course.

Subsequently, Steven put on a pair of sunglasses before walking into the popular café. Metagross, due to its massive size, waited outside for the former.

In his honest opinion, Steven secretly admitted that the café was comfortable. The polished metallic tables with wooden legs, the wooden chairs with cushions, the red walls complete with a black ceiling but with a slight bluish tint, and the miniature candle boxes on each table gave the atmosphere a light but distinctive air.

Still in sunglasses, Steven casually ordered a coffee at the till, politely instructing how he liked his coffee made. The barista at the till seemed to notice the wrapped Slateport cake in Steven's hand, but he didn't say anything at first until the coffee was ready. A steaming hot mug of coffee was prepared as instructed, and was soon in Steven's hands.

"It's a nice day to enjoy coffee and a Slateport cake, I'll give you that," the barista commented, which got Steven's attention. "I bet that cake would be best served with a macaron. Care for one?"

"Um…" Steven muttered, unable to immediately reply. The macarons on display looked very pleasing, with their colours varying from blue to red, green to yellow… Perhaps he wouldn't mind one? But wouldn't that mean that he was getting a little soft? "Sure," Steven said. "I'll take one."

"That's what I like to hear," the barista smiled.

Did all customers act like this? Steven wondered what he was actually here for. Either he was enjoying himself as a customer or he was attempting to gain some competitive advantage. But since he was forced out of his restaurant by his employees for the day, he might as well make the most of it. Yes. He was going to have to enjoy himself as a customer. Maybe afterwards, he could go for a walk on one of the nearby routes.

Eventually, a delicious macaron on a plate and a coffee were given to Steven after he had paid. Thanking the barista, Steven walked out of the café to one of the outside metal tables and pulled up a chair. He was not keen to walk into that square plaza across the street, not when he was wearing sunglasses, and certainly not in his scruffy appearance.

He sat down to, for the first time in what felt like too long, relax. For a moment, Steven had this sense of relief that he could be away from his restaurant for a little. The difference was that he was relaxing at a place owned by his (probable) chief competitor. As a customer, the mixture of a Slateport cake and one of _her_ coffees was delicious. The ocean air could be heard through the streets and the sun was out, which made the Cyllage atmosphere very welcoming. Come to that, did Cynthia's coffee somehow taste nicer than his? It seemed so much smoother than the coffee he drank earlier.

As he was halfway eating through his Slateport cake, he peeked at the plaza to see locals happily mingling with each other as they ate pastries and buns from his bakery, but enjoying other things like macarons and tarts _and_ coffee from _her_ café. If anything, Steven thought, the square plaza beside his restaurant served as a sort of neutral ground between his place and _hers_.

After eating his Slateport cake, Steven reached for the light-blue macaron on his plate. The crisp pastry gave him a minor flashback of his first visit to Vue sur la Lune not-so-long ago. While eating, he peered into the café to see customers line up before the barista…

And Cynthia.

Realising this, Steven kept his head down and pretended to enjoy his coffee. However, he still kept his eyes on her, and hoping she wouldn't notice him. If his crinkled suit was a giveaway, then he would have to live with that. To be honest, he was finding it difficult to relax by just being here.

Metagross, though, knew exactly what Steven was thinking.

"_Meta_," it echoed, suggesting a tone saying, "_You're not going to stay here long, probably._"

The remaining quarter of Slateport cake was fed to Metagross, in which the Pokémon took gratefully. As a customer, Steven tried his best to relax, but the environment here was too… quiet. As much as he'd like to return to work, that wasn't going to happen.

He thought about eating the macaron and leaving some for Metagross, but shortly after, he changed his mind and kept it for himself. If Cynthia didn't notice him but was too busy working, then maybe he could get out before _anyone_, be it Wallace, Martine, or James, could notice.

"Hey, how's it going?" a voice greeted.

Cilan, Cress, and Chili. Oh, how Steven spoke too soon.

Before Steven could register what was going in his mind, Cress and Chili were sitting at Steven's table, whereas Cilan remained standing.

"Alright, I'll be grabbing coffees for all of us," he said. "Well, I suppose you'll be wanting tea, am I right, Cress?"

Cress gave Cilan the thumbs-up.

By the time Steven realised what was going on, it was too late for him to stop Cilan from walking into the café. If he walked in there now, Cynthia would surely notice him.

"Hey, Steven, you alright?" Chili asked. "I can see you probably we're expecting us, but wow! Imagine seeing you here of all places! I thought it might have been a first, seeing what happened to her that night, right?"

Steven glared at Chili, but because Steven was wearing sunglasses, Chili didn't notice the intimidation. Cress merely nodded.

"Let me guess, Steven. You're trying to forge a relationship or something?" Cress said. "After all, it's sort of like she's the one for you."

Now it was Cress' turn to be on the receiving end of Steven's glare, albeit overshadowed by the sunglasses Steven wore.

"Can't I enjoy some quiet time?" Steven muttered.

Out of the corner of his sunglasses, Steven noticed behind the glass windows Cilan talking to Cynthia. However, when he realised that Cilan was point right at him, Steven turned his head away and quickly recalled Metagross into his Poké Ball. His quiet time was certainly at an end now.

_And just when I thought I was going to enjoy myself_, he thought.

He finished off the rest of his coffee before getting up. Cress and Chili appeared to want to say something, but already Steven was a block away from the café. It appeared he was in a hurry to go somewhere.

"And, he's off and away," Chili remarked.

By then, Cilan was standing behind them.

"Cynthia insisted that she bring our drinks to us, though I tried to turn down the offer," Cilan explained. Indeed, Cynthia was standing behind the Striaton Gym brothers with a tray in hand. Steaming mugs of coffee and tea awaited them.

"Alright, did any of you order a coffee and a tea – Hey, what's with the looks?" Cynthia's tone became curious. Chili was wearing a grin that looked as if it was about to explode into laughter, whereas Cress appeared to be holding his breath.

As soon as the drinks were put down, Cress replied, "Nothing much, Cynthia, nothing much. But since you're here, I suggest you take a seat with us."

Cilan pulled up the fourth chair, where Steven had just previously sat on, to cue Cynthia to take a seat. Not wanting to be impolite, Cynthia took up the offer, and Cilan took his seat after.

"I suppose you're wondering what was going on?" Chili said, with his suspicious grin not losing its effect.

"But I really don't see anything out of the ordinary, though," Cynthia muttered. "Did something just happen here?"

The coffees were passed to Cilan and Chili, and Cress had his tea. The brothers simultaneously picked up their mugs, sipped them at the same time, and put them down at the same time. When the mugs were down, though, the three brothers were each giving each other hard stares. Chili seemed intent on talking about Steven, whereas Cress wanted to keep silent on the issue, and Cilan wanted to talk about something else.

"Steven was here," Chili was first to speak, and thus earning a well-deserved glare from his brothers. "It seems he was here to take a coffee break, yeah?"

"You're bluffing," Cynthia's face suddenly became cold. "He wouldn't bother coming here. Not anymore."

"Yeah, stop this nonsense, Chili," Cilan added. To this, Cress secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but Chili wasn't having any of this. The latter thought about making a comeback quote to persuade Cynthia, but it now appeared that Cynthia wasn't interested in the topic anymore, so he desisted, but not before giving both of his brothers a Steven-style glare. Cilan grinned. "In the meantime," he said, "how's life in Cyllage City, Cynthia?"

Chili merely stood up, with his face still showing annoyed expressions, and walked away. Cress only shrugged, and Cilan kept up his conversation with Cynthia.

* * *

James had given the order for the staff to clean up the entire Stone Restaurant and Bistro establishment. While Steven wasn't present at the restaurant, nor were floors above busy, James saw to getting some productivity from the staff. The barman was to clean the wine cellar, some servers to support the regular janitors sweeping the bar, while other servers cleaned the tables at the bar. Steven's museum was to be cleaned and dusted, and the bakery was to be cleaned as well.

Never mind the dining floors in the above floors, alongside the kitchens.

The lobby and foyer lounges had to be dusted and cleaned too. However, Laurent and Sophie remained at the desk to hold the fort in case if any more customers showed up.

That left Steven's somewhat new office, which Martine gladly took the opportunity to clean. James was reluctant at first, but finally granted permission for her to dust the office, seeing that there were little locations vacant.

Eventually, Martine was standing outside Steven's office, with a broom and a mop. James had provided her with keys to get inside, so that was exactly what she used. For once, she could actually wander around in here without her boss' presence. To snoop around seemed a tempting idea, but she was better off cleaning for now.

With a wet cloth, she wiped off the partly dusty shelves and files in the office; needless to say the table as well. Once that was finished, after washing off the cloth, Martine proceeded to sweeping the floor. However, she didn't count on her boss being the messy type, and her predictions were affirmed when she picked up little more than bits of paper. The only thing that needed throwing out was Steven's little trash bin which he used to contain discarded notes.

_One would think this place didn't need washing either_, she thought. The floor was surprisingly clean. Would Steven have cleaned the floor himself? Not possible. But it was a wonder how the floor appeared sparkly clean. The only thing Martine could collect on the floor was nothing more than dust. Normally, one of the janitors would stop by to clean Steven's office once a week, but since there was little to do for now, it was best to keep the first-class restaurant in form, particularly when they had an honourable guest tonight.

Knowing the cooks, they would be cleaning the kitchens and making sure their workspace was clear. When they finished with that, they would normally proceed to preparing ingredients in anticipation of dinner guests who ordered meals for the night. With the thought of a celebrity attending the restaurant for dinner, James made sure everyone was working hard.

At almost every space Martine dusted in Steven's office, there were financial statements regarding the position of the restaurant. This information of course was kept confidential from almost everyone except Steven and James, the administrators, but Martine took the liberty of neatly filing them away or stacking them on the desk. A messy desk wasn't pleasant to look at, after all.

And speaking of the desk… any more vouchers her boss kept would have been inestimable proof of affection for his culinary rival, and her boss would regard it as junk. Well, if it was junk, Martine thought, then who was he to decide to keep it? Maybe she should do him a favour and 'throw it out' for him.

_Oui, and that'll mean I can 'help' him throw out the trash,_ Martine thought sinisterly. With that in mind, along with a mischievous smile, she opened Steven's desk drawer and began searching for more 'junk'. More financial statements, books, pencils, a calculator…

And _that_.

_Ha ha, what have we here?_ Martine thought, reaching into the desk drawer and pulling out a slightly tattered, but in decent condition nonetheless, copy of the popular Kalos magazine from so long ago. The 'Apples and Oranges' article her boss supposedly hated, and it was just sitting there.

Curious as she was already, she opened the magazine to skim the pages. The article in question appeared very wrinkly and slightly teared, as if it had been touched upon too many times. Martine, then, deduced her boss must have been reading this too often. In her heart she was laughing as hard as she could, seeing that she discovered another of her boss' secrets. This one, in particular, was too amusing to behold.

Either Steven kept this magazine secret because he was too stubborn to admit he liked Cynthia, or that he simply couldn't take his eyes off her so this was the alternative, Martine thought. Whatever plans Steven had in mind seemed like a mystery to her, and this was a clue, perhaps. What Wallace, Lisia, or James wouldn't give for this information…?

_It's been a while since I've read this,_ she thought.

Nah, maybe she'd be better off keeping this a secret for now. Martine placed the magazine back where it belonged, though with smiles, and resumed her duties cleaning her boss' office. If James caught her slacking off right now, he would probably dock her pay. If Steven saw Martine raiding his office right now, he would probably fire her.

As she finished putting the other files in place, and closing the drawer holding the magazine, the office door flew open, shocking Martine a little. James d'Arc walked right in.

Martine could have said something, but she kept quiet when she realised that James wasn't even focused on her.

"Something the matter, James?" she calmly asked.

James partly ignored her, and he went on picking up the files Martine had just organised and opening them, looking at shipping invoices. "We seem to have a supply shortage, Martine. You didn't happen to see the invoice for our delivery of wines, by any chance?"

Martine scratched her head. James sighed.

"While cleaning the wine cellar, the barman went to inspect the inventory to see if all the wines were in check," he explained. "He found that at least four bottles weren't accounted for, so I'll need the invoice to see if we have any issues. Not that it's urgent."

Martine wasn't impressed to see James overturning all the files, as if he was ransacking, in search of the particular file. It was fortunate that he was searching through only one shelf and not much else. The 19-year old redhead didn't dare say a word that she had peeked into Steven's drawers to find a copy of the popular Kalos magazine, but she was quite certain James would be keen on knowing Steven's interest with the magazine.

Perhaps… Lisia and Wallace, let alone Winona, would be the first people she would tell of this breakthrough. Still, if only she could talk about the overall issue one-on-one with her boss… Now that would be wishful thinking.

* * *

"Home again, home again," Steven muttered tiredly. Then again, what _was_ home? It wasn't as if he had forgotten about Hoenn, right?

In the northern region of Cyllage City was a private villa where Steven lived, in which it highly resembled the villa he used to own in Sinnoh. Incidentally, the villa was built by the same developer and had been happy to do a deal with Steven when he contacted them. Now, the furniture Steven had in Sinnoh was automatically moved into this new villa, although he had to buy a new table. The TV, PC, kitchen, houseplants, statues, everything else, and even the chandelier were in the exact same positions as they had been at Sinnoh. Why, he even brought his entire collection of rocks in Sinnoh to this villa and the displays were placed exactly where they were supposed to be. Only the view outside was different. For Steven, it felt good to walk into someplace familiar. Metagross too.

As usual, he was greeted by his other Pokémon – namely Carbink and Aerodactyl – in addition to his old regulars Skarmory, Claydol, Aggron, Cradily, and Armaldo. With their master indefinitely retired from battling, there was little they could do besides lounging around. At times, though, Steven would take them all out for travelling whenever he was out gathering rocks and stones, but that was all.

The meals he cooked ever since his venture in Lumiose City wasn't half-bad either. Every night, Steven would drop by to cook delicious meals for them, and the least they could do was make Steven coffee the way he liked it.

At other times, Steven would occasionally get them to help out with servicing the restaurant, but that would happen only once in a while. Compared to their Champion days, they've never felt so laid back, and now the most they could do was helping the bistro. Besides, if Steven released them, what else was there to do?

"Thanks Armaldo…" Steven said tiredly, sipping a bit of coffee his Pokémon presented to him and then collapsing on the cream-white sofa, instead of the four-poster bed. If the alcohol fumes had an impact on him last night, they sure lingered around in his body still.

Even so, his refuge was interrupted by a mere phone call. The ringing filled the villa with a monotonous sound.

_Ugh… and just when I wanted some sleep_, Steven thought.

His Pokémon highly anticipated Steven would have picked up the phone straight away, but Steven went straight for the four-poster bed and collapsed on it, exhausted. The ring tone eventually faded away, thankfully, but a mere minute later the ringtone woke him up. What Steven wouldn't give for at least an hour of sleep! After all, didn't James have him off to do exactly that?

It also did not help when Cradily brought the phone directly to Steven's bedside table, though he could hear the phone seemingly come closer. Grudgingly, without opening his eyes, Steven reached over to pick up the phone and held it against his ear.

"Hello…" he groaned.

"_Steven,_" James' voice said from the other side. "_We seem to have an issue with one of our invoices, so I was wondering if you can help me out when you're rested up. Let's say… six hours?_"

"Sure…" Steven yawned, and hung up the line, casting the phone on the table.

A mere second later, the phone rang again, annoying him. He wanted to ignore the ringing and go to sleep, but as the phone was right beside him, why not answer it? Expecting James, he held it to his ear again.

"_Oh, oh! Mr. Stone!_" a different voice could be heard, which was enough to force Steven awake. This was not James, but was in fact… Sophie. "_We didn't mention this earlier, but last night when you were knocked out we lost a whole lot of reservations at some point. First this group left, and then almost everyone followed… to go to Vue sur la Lune! Now, we thought we'd tell you later, but you were too busy sleeping –_"

"Explain," Steven grumbled. Vue sur la Lune again? As if he hadn't had enough of that ill-fated restaurant already, seeing he went there for a coffee break not too long ago. Nevertheless, the news of a loss of customers caught his attention. If demand for his restaurant was going down, then that was terrible news to the current restaurant expenses…

No. He needed some innovation – maybe a new dish – to attract customers. Otherwise, he might have to start slashing menu prices, and that in turn would add on the restaurant financial liabilities, which was the last thing any business wanted. Speaking of financials, he had to check on James and the financial statements soon...

"_It happened last night when almost all the reservations we had at some point left the lobby and went to Vue sur la Lune for dinner!_" Sophie reported. "_I don't know about you, but maybe something's going on over there, or maybe _she_ might have a new food item on her menu._"

Yeah. An innovation might be the solution.

"_Apart from that,_" Sophie added, "_don't forget that a celebrity has reserved a table tonight! Honestly, the bistro would look good for her if you came along. If you can, please drop by and help James and the others cook!_"

It took a moment, a long one, before Steven could reply, "I'll see you tonight, Sophie."

He rested only for another ten minutes. When he got out of bed, it came to Steven that he still was in a shabby state. The suit he was accustomed to wearing, the trademark charcoal gray with the purple zigzag pattern and a red tie, could not have been in worse shape. Removing the jacket and tie and casting them away to wash, he went straight for his closet. Whatever appearance he had last night, he hoped it would be forgotten now.

As well, he needed to look sharp!

He selected one of his neat charcoal gray dinner jackets, a freshly ironed steel-blue dress shirt, and set it aside on the table. The charcoal gray dress pants, the belt… it all looked good.

There was also the issue of picking a tie. What should he go for? For tonight, perhaps red might go well…

However, Metagross knew exactly what he was thinking, and used Psychic to hold Steven's hand in place.

"What? What do you mean, 'not red'?" Steven demanded, glaring at Metagross.

The latter then used Psychic again to pull out a slim, alpine white tie, and held it up in front of Steven's face. Finally releasing the Psychic hold on Steven's hand and the slim white tie, Steven swiftly snatched it from the air in front, and held it up before his eyes.

"Alpine white, huh?"

Metagross nodded. After giving some thought, Steven admitted that alpine white would probably suit the steel-blue and charcoal gray best. He trusted Metagross, with all that knowledge and logic inside its mastermind, had a better judgement. Since when did he allow Metagross to choose what he should wear?! The alpine white tie was thrown on top of the dinner jacket.

And finally, shoes.

"If I'm wearing a white tie…" he muttered to himself, with a hint of embarrassment, "it'd be pointless to wear black shoes, let alone gray. No… I'd probably go for…"

In the end, he settled on a pair of smoke-white leather shoes. Steven brought the completed suit near the bed, but he also brought a polo shirt and shorts to wear for the time being. He started to change out of his tattered suit and into the business casual, so Steven's Pokémon reserved the right to leave him to his privacy.

When Steven was done, he would head over to his kitchen where he prepared to concoct a brand-new recipe that he hoped would attract customers back to his restaurant. Honestly, he could only imagine what reaction he would get from everyone. Wallace would probably come up with something like, "It's about time you've changed into something different." Yeah, he would probably say that.

Oh, if only Cynthia could see the suit he had picked out. Would she be impressed? Wait, why was he thinking of her now?

* * *

**Looks like Martine has discovered another secret...**

**WOW. I've never written a chapter this long compared to the other chapters. Could you imagine the dress Steven has selected? It looks sharp, if you ask me. Hey, maybe I should try wearing that sort of suit sometime in the future.**

**As a reward for reviewing this considerably long chapter, allow Martine Grenadine to serve you a glass of _sirop de grenadine_, a Slateport cake, and a freshly baked macaron.**


	16. The Right Kind of Dress

**With my school term now back to full swing, and the amount of PAPERWORK and exams I'm going through, I apologise that I'm going back into my MONTHLY update style again. However, I'm now giving up yet! I'll try to upload faster, but I need to focus on my studies...**

**TheLegendaryFalconFall, dawnleaf1234, Button-eyed Rag Doll, and That Same honoured Guest, you are all entitled to a glass of _sirop de grenadine_, a Slateport cake, and a freshly baked macaron - delivered by Martine Grenadine herself!**

**By the way, TheLegendaryFalconFall, _sirop de grenadine_ is not an alcohol.**

**Button-eyed Rag Doll, you greedy! You want one macaron, and now you want a dozen more?! Well, by all means, here's a plate of a dozen freshly baked macarons for you!**

* * *

_**Chapter sixteen: The Right Kind of Dress**_

The woman who had briefly been in Steven's thoughts was operating her business as usual, albeit it had been a somewhat tiring day. Cilan, Cress, and Chili hadn't left, but instead were enjoying Cynthia's freshly-made desserts, and professionally critiquing the taste and effort she had put into them. Even Chili, who was normally hotheaded and such, had taken time to enjoy the original Unova cheesecake Cynthia had served to him.

It had been three hours since Cynthia had them sample some of her treats, whereas she had them pay for others. Unova cheesecake, macarons, and delicious smoothies were among the things that had been served. On demand, though, Cilan paid for a dark chocolate shaped to look like a Prism Tower replica.

The chocolate was served frozen, and the design of the chocolate was such that Cilan sort of felt guilty at the thought of eating it. Chili insisted on taking the first bite, to which Cilan started to eat the chocolate rather hastily.

"Shall I interest you three in a chocolate fondue?" Cynthia offered.

Cress held up his hands. "I think I've had enough of desserts for today, tempting as it may be."

"Come on, Cress, there's no need to fear more chocolate!" Chili lightly pressured. Before Cress could even say any more, Chili motioned to Cynthia for a fondue. Chili loved the reaction he was getting from Cress, when the latter frantically tried to stop Cynthia. Unfortunately, he was held down by his brothers.

In minutes Cynthia was back inside the café helping with more customers who stopped by for a coffee. She went around collecting empty cups and plates before heading to the counter and passing them to some of the staff.

"The gentlemen outside would like a chocolate fondue, with red or white, you decide," she instructed. "Fruit or bread, that's up to you too."

"_Oui_, chef," the barista nodded, and then he seemed to remember something. "Oh by the way, chef, we had a customer drop by who was looking for you. She seemed in a hurry, I guess."

"Oh, did you get the customer's name?" Cynthia asked.

The barista scoffed, as if he was failing to hide a joke, which annoyed Cynthia. Not wanting to risk losing pay or even his job, the barista replied, "She's sitting over there."

Immediately, he went for the phone to contact the kitchens on the upper floors. Vue sur la Lune had a chocolatier, a café, a dining area, and a lobby on the ground level, but much of the restaurant's dining occurred on the upper floors. As it happened, the chocolate fondue Cynthia created was a restaurant item and had to be prepared from the kitchens. That was what exactly happened when the barista made the quick phone call, and normally, one of the servers would bring it to the café when it was completely prepared.

At the same time, Cynthia went for the customer the barista mentioned. This customer was dressed in entirely white clothes, complete with a white coat, and white high heels. She sported a pink handbag and was wearing sunglasses. Sitting near the window, she was slowly enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee with a croissant on the side.

_Well, doesn't that look sharp?_ Cynthia thought. If she didn't know better, she would have taken this customer to be a sort of rich girl.

"_Salut_," Cynthia greeted, casually. "Were you looking for me?"

The customer looked directly at her, and then gestured to the other chair at her table. "_Bon après-midi_, Champion."

Cynthia expected as much that at some point sooner or later in Kalos that someone would address directly as Champion. It occurred to her that this customer was making it more puzzling in that this customer was wearing sunglasses. Why so secretive?

"Um… I suppose you know who I am," she said. "But may I ask for your name?"

A smile crept up the customer's lips, and then she pulled off her sunglasses, and smartly saying, "You really don't know who I am, Cynthia? That's nice of you."

Now Cynthia felt like slapping herself. If it weren't for the sunglasses, she would have recognised her right away. Everyone in Kalos, and maybe fans outside the region, would know exactly who she was. Cynthia wondered why she didn't recognise her at first glance, being former Champion.

"Oh! Diantha!" Cynthia exclaimed, with an expression of surprise.

"In the flesh," Diantha grinned. "How have you been?"

"Great!"

"Really?"

"Oh, you know…" Cynthia said slowly. "I'm just a simple woman now, doing business in something I really enjoy. Ever hear about people who want to retire early? I guess this is what it feels like, being free from Pokémon League duties."

"Cynthia, that is nowhere close to being retired!" Diantha lightly objected. "But in all seriousness, are you sure you're feeling great? After all, I did read the title article in my favourite magazine. So, have you two started yet?"

_Oh no, not you too!_ Cynthia thought.

Unfortunately for Cynthia, her facial expression came long before her verbal response. Diantha read it a moment and she laughed, right before Cynthia said, "No!"

"It's alright, Cynthia, we can always talk about that later," Diantha said back. "Besides, I thought I'd try to give you an invitation to a dinner I'm hosting tonight."

Henri stopped by the table to check on his boss, where the latter asked she be served a cup of mocha. In five minutes, Cynthia was enjoying a conversation with the Kalos Champion over a hot drink. Diantha explained she had just returned from filming at a studio in Unova and was happy to celebrate over dinner with her colleagues. Cynthia expressed interest as well, until she asked where exactly Diantha was holding dinner.

"Oh, it's at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro," Diantha happily answered, not noticing the very slight disappointment in Cynthia's eyes. "I've made a reservation, but if you'd like to join me, I'm sure Steven would love to oblige. Hey! It'll be like a gathering of Champions! A reunion! Of course, keeping out the paparazzi isn't going to be simple either, so I've booked a whole private section on the top floor, when the sun sets."

Cynthia wasn't paying attention, but she was staring off, lost in thought.

Diantha ended up waving a hand in front of Cynthia's eyes. "Hey, Cynthia? Cynthia!"

Her spaced-off eyes blinked back to reality. "Oh, sorry, what?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Now Diantha said it in a way as if she was acting smart. "Let me guess. You have something against me going to Steven's restaurant and not yours."

Thinking quickly, Cynthia replied, "Oh, no! I'd _love_ to join you for dinner tonight, even if it would mean going to eat there! Well, not that I have anything against him."

Henri served Cynthia a slice of lotus cheesecake, with an appetizing drizzle of deep blue Belue berry and garnished with coconut shavings. If Cynthia was going to enjoy a mocha, she might as well serve it with a light treat. Diantha, noticing how appetizing it looked, asked Henri for a slice as well.

After making her order, Diantha faced Cynthia again. "Alright, so if you're really interested you could always drop by tonight. Dinner will be in… (she glanced at her phone) three hours? That's plenty of time, I'm sure. Now given that it's Steven's restaurant, you'll want to dress nice. No wait, scratch that. You need to be looking fabulous."

In an instant, Cynthia became self-conscious of the day. She didn't realise it at first, but the sunlight in the skies began to signal the coming of twilight, which meant that if she really was going to have dinner with Diantha, she was going to have to start organising an early leave from work. To be fair, at least, Cynthia was administrator. She would have to leave the duties to her managers, like she always did before.

She eyed one of the servers from upstairs who was bringing a fondue set outside to where the Striaton brothers were sitting. It appeared that the barista had opted to have the fondue served with strawberries. Outside, Chili and Cress reacted happily upon seeing the server place the pot over the burner, subsequently lighting it, and melting chocolate into the pot. In addition, some wine – specifically one from Steven's cellar – was used to help cook the fondue as well.

"I guess I better start picking out my dress," Cynthia said, albeit dully. "I think I'll have to look good just for you, Diantha."

Diantha grinned. "I'll make a phone call for an extra seat now."

At the same time a slice of lotus cheesecake with coconut shavings was placed on the space before her, while she made a phone call to the Stone Bistro to add one more seat at her table. As one would expect, Diantha picked up her spoon and scooped small portion of the cheesecake to eat it, after she had made her call.

On the other hand, Cynthia got up to walk over to the café counter to make an internal phone call to her managers, informing them of her change in schedule. Elsewhere outside, Cilan asked his server if he could look at the wine that was being used to cook the fondue. The server agreed and left the bottle on the table for Cilan to look at upon departing.

After making her call, Cynthia returned to the table to rejoin Diantha who was halfway-through eating her cheesecake.

"I have to say, Cynthia, this is good cheesecake!" Diantha smiled. "You know, maybe after dinner at Steven's, I could head back here for a slice. What do you think?"

But before Cynthia could answer, Diantha coughed. This cough was pretty dry. Alarmed, Cynthia asked, "Hey, Diantha! Are you alright?"

Diantha held a hand to her throat, another to cover her mouth, and she kept coughing. "It – (cough) – I'm fine. It's just a little allergic reaction – (cough) –"

The coughing did not stop, and now Cynthia was getting very worried.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" she said. "Allergic reaction?! What are you allergic to?!"

Diantha rasped, "_Co…co…nut_."

CRASH

Immediately, Diantha's head, shoulders, and arms collapsed on the table. It was apparent that Diantha had fainted. Panic was the first reaction Cynthia had. Thankfully, the only customers at the café at the moment were the Striaton brothers.

"Cynthia! What's going on?!" the barista dropped a bag of coffee beans, spilling them on the floor, when he saw Diantha out cold on the table. "Wait, that's Diantha! Cynthia, what happened?!"

"She's knocked out," Cynthia answered calmly, trying to keep the situation steady. "I'll see that she'll be at the Pokémon Centre soon. It's really nothing serious, but hey, let's keep in mind that Diantha is allergic to coconut."

Still aware of Diantha's booking at the Stone Bistro, and that Diantha would have to wake up in… three hours, someone would have to show up in her place until she did. Cynthia wondered if she might take it as an advantage.

Diantha was carried away by two of Cynthia's Pokémon – Garchomp and Roserade – and Henri out of the café. It was an unusual scene, particularly for the Striaton brothers who were sitting outside watching.

"Remind the medical staff to notify me if she ever wakes up," Cynthia instructed. "She has a dinner reservation tonight, so we wouldn't want her to keep waiting."

"_Oui_, chef," Henri replied.

"Something going on here, Cynthia?" Cilan asked.

Cynthia nearly forgot how close the Striaton brothers were sitting to the café entrance.

"Nothing serious," Cynthia quickly replied. "Diantha here just got an allergic reaction to some coconut. That's all. Is there something you need?"

"I'd just like to talk about the wine you use for this chocolate fondue," he said. "I'm not criticising you, as the fondue is delicious, yes, but where exactly did you get this wine?"

Her face was frozen for a few seconds, but she made a quick reply.

"I'm… having dinner with Diantha tonight at the Stone Bistro," she said. "You think I can answer your question later?"

On the other hand, Cynthia knew that for one like Diantha, casual clothing was not going to cut it, and particularly at a place like the Stone Bistro where business casual was the minimal norm – Cynthia had enough clothes of that style than she could count. Well, if she wanted to impress others, including _him_, she would need something impressive.

She began to make her way back to where she stayed, leaving Cilan and his brothers behind. While walking, and keeping an eye on Diantha who was now being carried away to the Pokémon Centre, Cynthia began to wonder what exactly to wear for tonight. Plus, with the knowledge of Diantha's weakness to coconut, things might get interesting…

"Think I'll stop by the boutique for a dress," she said to herself.

It made sense since Cynthia only brought one or two dresses with her all the way from Sinnoh, but while she was here in Kalos, she probably would be better off if she bought new dresses. It helped to know that she had economic benefits from her business, and she managed to collect some profits.

For an event like tonight, though, arbitrarily picking a dress was out of the question. She needed some time to decide what to wear.

* * *

Steven's Pokémon could not have felt more satisfied with the meal Steven had prepared for them. After what felt like endless hours and multiple attempts creating an experimental recipe, and not to mention the sorry reactions the Pokémon felt when it tasted bad, Steven had managed to create… something.

"It's about time," remarked Steven.

His Explorer Kit was stored in the back of the room wardrobe, and in light of the event tonight, digging for rocks would have to wait. Tonight, he would bring this mastered recipe to the kitchens for everyone to follow. If the critics at Lumiose City saw this, they would have been impressed.

Metagross echoed happily. For hours, Steven had been experimenting with a written-down recipe he had in mind in the time he was resting. After he went out and came back with Cradily to do some grocery shopping, Steven initiated the experimental recipe, dressed in his business casual clothes with a black chef jacket over top. He had sampled parts of it himself, while giving other samples to his Pokémon. The ingredients he had were of decent quality enough, inexpensive as they were, and only when he would bring the recipe to the restaurant would he switch to higher quality ingredients.

For now, though, his Pokémon were satisfied with the food, and that was enough for Steven.

"I'm going to get dressed now, but…" Steven laughed as if it were a shame to say it, "could you do me a favour and help me wash the dishes?"

The only one actually willing to wash the dishes was Armaldo, but eventually the other Pokémon took a stake in washing and drying the dishes. It was a miracle that not even a plate was scratched.

Facing the mirror now, Steven began to dress up. Beginning with his steel-blue dress shirt and then his charcoal gray dress pants, all freshly ironed. After he had buttoned up his dress shirt, he faced the mirror again, and started to put on the slim alpine white tie Metagross had picked out for him. Bowing his head down, he wrapped the tie around his collar before raising his head up again.

After that was done, he put on his charcoal gray dinner jacket.

_Ah… right, maybe Diantha would appreciate it more if I wore cuffs_, he thought. _That'll make me more look more businesslike._

Reaching into the nearby wardrobe, Steven took out the classic cuffs he had always worn back in his Pokémon League days, and was still impressed that he had a use for them in the restaurant business. In some respect, he operated the restaurant and the League like they were businesses anyway. He slid one on each arm, up to chest height, and felt their familiar grip.

He looked back at the mirror to make sure the cuffs were symmetrical, and adjusted them where needed. On the other hand, Steven then proceeded to make sure the cuffs of his dress shirt were smoothed out beneath his dinner jacket sleeves.

When that was over with, Steven straightened his dinner jacket, fixed his tie once more, and then went for some hair gel. Not that he was a fan of gel, but he figured he should look good tonight. He could only imagine how Martine, Sophie, or the other waitresses would react to him now.

* * *

Elsewhere, wearing a black bathrobe in her washroom, Cynthia had just washed her platinum-blond hair and was in the process of putting on makeup. She had perfume laid out before her, but she was trying her best to brush her eyebrows carefully, with the aid of a lash thickener and conditioner. It would probably take hours to have the makeup done, and that was time Cynthia didn't have.

"Back already, eh?" she said, hearing the familiar scuffle of Garchomp entering the premises. "How's Diantha doing?"

Garchomp briefly walked into the washroom to place a written message on the counter in front of her before turning away. Cynthia ended up placing her thickener brush aside and picked up the piece of paper.

_So she'll be up in three hours, the nurse says,_ she thought._ Just in time for her reservation._

She continued of the process of treating her eyelashes, but after that, Cynthia really needed to think about combing her hair and picking out her dress. Thankfully she bought a new one at the boutique, and she seemed happy with her choice. That reminded her, she still needed to have it washed and dried.

"Garchomp. Be a dear and get Milotic and Roserade to wash my new dress, please?" she asked.

Garchomp took this to be an odd request from her master, but complied nonetheless and walked out of the washroom. Cynthia was still carefully brushing her lashes, and when that was done she would be adding eyeshadow to her eyelids and then combing her hair. She could only imagine what reaction she would get from those around her. It was enough that Wallace called her attractive (in Wallace's case, in particular, it was more than enough), and the article in the popular Kalos magazine made that point thorough, but speaking of which she wasn't going to fall victim to matchmaking that easily.

Besides, she was only dropping by the Stone Restaurant and Bistro on Diantha's behalf, right?

* * *

**It _always_ makes me laugh when I think how Steven looked when he was facing the mirror and putting on that suit, and especially when he was fixing his tie...**

**Alright, leave a review, and you can - guiltily - enjoy a slice of the lotus cheesecake drizzled with Belue berry and coconut shavings which was responsible for knocking out Diantha.**


	17. Attraction via Apparel

**Whooo! I think this chapter has been way overdue for upload! I needed more time to write! To be fair, though, you can NOT imagine what happened in school the past two weeks (I'm a second-year university student at the moment). I THOUGHT I would have had enough time to write since my weekends are longer, but nope! This _one_ class forced me (and is still forcing me) to work overtime. I had to pull an all-nighter to get one of my projects done, and this is just one course! Still, now this chapter can finally upload, and I have to get some more studying done for final exams next week!**

**I'd like to extend a slice of lotus cheesecake with sour Belue berry drizzle and coconut shavings to dawnleaf1234, The Legendary Falcon Fall, The Same honoured Guest (you really are excited for this one!), and Anime Review's for placing their orders. QUEENSPELLER67, though, you'll have to do with stale food, so bear with me. Stale macarons, a slice of Custap berry-drizzled cheesecake, and whatever leftovers there are at the wedding banquet.**

**Trust me, readers, THIS course is one chapter you'd want to savour slowly...**

* * *

_**Chapter seventeen: Attraction via Apparel**_

Two hours later, both Steven and Metagross were well on their way to their restaurant. Although the actress' reservation was well away, there was still the matter of the financial statements regarding inventory. James, a little desperate on that, had to get Steven in to have that matter settled before they got to the more pressing matter in the actress' arrival.

"The first thing we're going to do is teach our new recipe to our staff," Steven said, "and then we'll move on to overseeing the financial statements James was talking about."

But the first knee-jerk reaction Steven got from his staff was – particularly from the females – overwhelming. Upon walking into the foyer, he would normally be greeted by the staff present there, and normally that would be Laurent and Sophie.

"Good evening, Mr. Stone," Laurent waved.

Steven nodded back, but he stopped still when he realised that Sophie was staring at him.

"Oh… my," she gasped, as if she didn't realise she was looking at her boss. "Ohhhh, my…"

"Um… Sophie, _êtes-vous ça va_?" Laurent asked. The response he got was a sigh, as Sophie kept staring at Steven, who was on his way to his office. When Steven disappeared from sight, Sophie remained staring in that direction until Laurent gently shook her arm. Sophie flinched.

"Ah! _Qu'est-ce que c'est_?" Sophie cried.

Laurent appeared suspicious, but after a moment let the details sink in and then he started to laugh. "Ah, Sophie. Really? Really?!"

Sophie blushed and turned away.

"He's just our boss, but… yeah, he's looking sharp," she said. In the next instance, her voice became quieter and she slowly slipped away from the front desk. "Um… Laurent, would you excuse me?"

Elsewhere in Steven's office, James d'Arc had been overviewing the restaurant financial statements for some time. As the restaurant's part-time accountant, James had a major role in keeping the reports up-to-date and accounted for. In this case, he had invited the barman to Steven's office for half an hour to make sure that the claim was true – that four bottles of wine were missing.

It helped a little that James had been in contact with the restaurant's primary accountant, but even so, the accountant was certain that the accounts were in check, so James – and in a way, Steven – was on his own.

"Come in," he said, as he heard knocking from the door. Steven walked in.

It was apparent that James had been busy.

"I'm told you need our shipping invoices, James?" Steven asked, but only to get James' attention. When James gave back a nod, Steven went over to pull up a file within one of his shelves. As James looked at the statements carefully alongside the barman, Steven flipped through the pages of this file and pulled out the invoice. "Alright, let's compare notes."

Steven took his office chair to join James in sitting. Only the desk now separated the two of them with the barman, who was certain his role was done, nodding to them both and quietly left the office. Steven checked the financial statement James had which showed the value of assets – in this case the total value of their wines ordered – and compared it with the shipping invoice which showed the price of the wines actually received. No doubt, the values on both documents matched.

"This is strange," Steven said to James. "We definitely have the right amount of wines, and yet the bar claims we're low on four bottles? Not possible. Unless… the bottles could have been stolen – James! I told you I wasn't hallucinating!"

James ignored Steven, but kept on rechecking the statements. The invoice was there, which was proof that the restaurant had received the right number of wines and spirits, and not to mention that the amount was the same amount showing on the financial statement. Plus, the statement showed that the restaurant had paid the supplier in full, so that was one less liability down.

James ended up rechecking the financial statement with the invoice once more. "Alright," he said. "Let's assume they were stolen, so we'll have to investigate who and how that happened. I'll go notify the barman, but for now, Steven, I think it's time for work."

Steven became aware of how little time there was before Diantha's dinner reservation.

As the two chefs stood up, Steven reached into his dinner jacket chest pocket to pull out the recipe he had written out at home. He held it in front of James.

"I'll admit, James, that you had a point of sending me home," he said. "While I was at home, I spent my time preparing a new recipe. I'm sure Diantha, and maybe the staff later, would love to see how it tastes."

For the first time since Steven had been locked up in the wine cellar, James smiled. "I'm glad to see you're acting like the chef you are, Steven. The kitchen would love to see what you have in store. I'll join you later, but in the meantime, _bon chance_."

Steven ended up straightening his alpine white tie before he went for the door, thus leaving James to settle the matter with some phone calls. As well, he went to grab his black cook jacket on the way out.

* * *

When he left his office, though, he was met with a crowd of females. Specifically, they were all made up of his restaurant staff. Martine Grenadine was there, so was Sophie, and many of the waitresses stood looking straight at him. At first, Steven wondered if there was anything urgent they had that required his attention, but after some thought – when he briefly looked at each of their faces, his face began to flush.

"Um… Is there something you need?" he asked slowly.

"Ooh… you're looking pretty sharp there, boss," Martine spoke first.

"Not sharp!" Sophie pitched in, with her voice in a slightly higher-pitch squeal. "You've never looked more _handsome_!"

As well, before Steven knew it, he was surrounded by all his female staff. Although he was administrator, he simply was in no position to keep off the number of eyes looking at him, as if they were charmed. Was it perhaps the cuffs on his sleeves? Or simply his suit? Steven had no idea, but he needed to move.

Or so he wished. It looked like everyone wanted to have a good look at him.

"I'll bet _she_ would be impressed, wouldn't you say, boss?" Martine asked playfully, whilst batting her eyelashes at him. Steven was unmoved, but he knew exactly what Martine was trying to get at. However, he had to admit that his choice of suit seemed to influence everyone around him.

"Nonsense," he quickly answered. "Anyway, let's put our focus on our guest, who will be seated in an hour. I've been told that our guest tonight is a very popular actress, so that's why I'm in top form today. It's the only way to greet a guest."

Sophie grinned. "Of course you would, _mon chéri_."

"_Elle a raison…_" one of the waitresses muttered happily.

His face showed signs of trying to hold back a blush, and was done so only satisfactorily. This seemed to satisfy his workers even further.

Steven, hoping to avoid his female workers for perhaps the next hour, told all of them to go back to work. Martine and the waitresses went back up the stairs to return to preparing the tables, in preparation for the dinner hours. It was just their luck that Steven had to follow them to the lobby, as he had to go to the kitchens on the way there.

"Hey, boss, are those _cuffs_ you're wearing on your sleeves?" Martine pointed out, giving one of the cuffs a tug (which made Steven shudder). "Really? _Vous n'avez jamais regardé plus beau_."

Being in the presence of this many people Steven could sense the excitement radiating off them. Sophie seemed to highly agree with what Martine said and she tugged on Steven's other cuff. Choosing to uncomfortably ignore them, he tossed out his Poké Ball holding Metagross, and then said, "Help them out where they're needed, alright?"

Metagross, who with its supercomputer brain could detect the redness in Steven's face, and echoed a very, very, low sound of laughter. Steven declined to comment, although he wished he could have said that it wasn't funny.

"Oh, and Mr. Stone," Sophie said, as if she had just remembered something important. "I forgot to tell you that our guest has made a reservation for one more seat. Surely that would be acceptable, I hope?"

Even before Steven could answer, Sophie was all smiles. Her boss' appearance was just too charming. Steven answered, "Of course, of course. After all, we haven't even started cooking yet, and there is a new recipe I'd like to try on the staff."

Just _talking_ to him like this seemed to make Sophie especially happy. It didn't help Steven that Sophie was staring at him still.

"I… like your watch, Mr. Stone," she whispered.

Steven held his breath. He could recall experience of having fangirls chasing him around back in his championship days, no thanks to Wallace, but this was entirely different. Oh, if only his parents could see him now. Albeit, he did pick a nice watch to wear tonight.

"I think… you should head back to the lobby," he ordered, while Sophie could tell that he was only saying this to send her off.

"Of course, _mon chéri_," she cooed.

Would he crack? He sure seemed like it, but she left him to his misery.

So Sophie ended up back behind the desk of the lobby, where she found Laurent attempting to manage a mob of customers which had occupied the lobby. As she could tell the sunlight outside was signalling the coming of twilight, it was no wonder there were guests amassing.

There was also the matter of preparing for the arrival of the actress, and that reminded Sophie that she still hadn't told Steven the actress' name. However, the time would have to come sooner or later. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to tell him when the honoured guests actually arrived.

After a long while, the guests were ushered by the servers up the stairs to the tables. Laurent checked the clock to make sure that the actress was arriving for sure.

"By the way, Sophie," he said abruptly, "how is everyone finding Mr. Stone?"

"Everyone thinks he's… dreamy," she said back, albeit with the same wide grin. "Don't tell me you're jealous, Laurent!"

"No, no, of course not," Laurent rolled his eyes. "Just imagine how Cynthia would react if she saw him? You'd think they were made for each other."

Sophie scoffed.

* * *

James d'Arc had arrived at the kitchens in time for Steven to begin demonstration of his new recipe. On one side, there was Steven in his black cook jacket, with him facing the fire grills, the ovens, and the lot. Separating Steven from the rest of the cook staff, who were all lined up on the other side, was the metal kitchen counter.

Laid out before the counter were the necessary ingredients Steven was going to use. Among them were baguette flour, LaBrie cheese from the freshest suppliers in the region, classic Tamato berries, and onions. Steven got to work by firing up the fire grill and the oven.

"Tonight, we are going to try something different," Steven asserted. "For our guest, who is an actress, she will be the first to sample this newly created recipe in which I promise will be the best dish of ours since the days of the Accolade. I hope that you are all paying close attention to what I have in store, and keep an eye on how I time things…"

The first thing Steven did was place the baguette on one of the trademark flat stone plates that was normally used for preparing the Accolade. Then he placed the stone plate into the oven for the bread to be baked.

The cooks sort of had an idea what Steven had in mind. James alone seemed content that Steven had the nerve to finally come up with a new recipe at all. It had seemed like an eternity since Steven had looked like this, when he simply enjoyed working as a chef preparing first-class meals. Of course, that had changed when Cynthia had taken up business across the street. Now, it appeared that Steven was back to his old self.

"That baguette smells good already," one of the chefs commented. "It's been a while since we baked bread."

"Hey, we have a bakery for that," James smiled a little. "And pay attention to the timing…"

* * *

Sophie had left for the bar to grab a glass of water for Laurent, while grabbing a glass of _sirop de grenadine_ for herself. This of course meant that Laurent was left to do the paperwork and computer reservations himself for the time being.

"I'm off for a glass of _sirop de grenadine_," Sophie said earlier. "Want something while I'm at it?"

"No, I'm good," Laurent said back. "I can hold the fort for a little while."

He sat silently keeping an eye on the number of reservations on the list. For now, there was a great deal of journalists who had stopped by to eat and watch the glamourous sunset. Most of them came in parties of no less than twelve, so there was good reason for Laurent to have his hands full. Now, all that was left was for the actress to show up. It was certainly around this time.

"Um, excuse me," a cool voice said to him. "I'm here for Diantha's reservation."

Laurent looked up from the reservation list. His jaw dropped.

* * *

The completed recipe was left on its respective stone plate in the kitchen to serve as a model for the other cooks to follow. Now that Steven had hung his cook jacket and was back to wearing his handsome attire, he had opted to sit at the actress' table as a way to greet her when she arrived.

So while he waited, he had ordered two glasses of white wine from one of his waitresses who, apart from enthusiastically taking the order, seemed more edgy than ever when she saw her boss in charming form. Eventually, she came back with two glasses and the bottle.

"I'd be happy to enjoy that drink with you, Mr. Stone," she giggled.

Steven chuckled. "No, I think it'd be best to enjoy this with the guest I'm going to greet."

To the waitress it felt like she was talking to a person that wasn't her boss. More like a fan to some popular music star. It seemed like enough that Steven was a former Champion, but the way his appearance looked seemed to have had some sort of influence on her. He even noted her arm was a little shaky when she poured wine into his glass.

"_Merci_," Steven thanked. He really hoped that his waitress didn't spill the wine, judging by the shakiness of the wine flowing into the glass. Was it his imagination playing with his mind when his waitress _winked_ at him? Perhaps not, he hoped.

Trying to cool down his thoughts, Steven brought the glass of wine to his lips. He sipped it slowly to savour the sweetness of the finest wines with the blend of alcohol. The alcohol fumes weren't strong, but they were enough to make the wine tasty.

The idea of having a celebrity trying out this new dish of his creation… was all Steven could ask for. True, it wouldn't compare to a critic, but this dish would probably gain some degree of recognition of critics who would be willing to try it out. Perhaps he should make it clear to the actress that this dish was something especially new.

It had been seconds since Steven brought the glass to his lips that he ended up seeing something in the distance that _should not_ have belonged here. It took his breath away – because the sight was that breathtaking.

The worst part was, because of the breathtaking sight, he ended up inhaling a _lot_ of alcohol fumes from the wine. The fumes swept through his nose and down his throat, and he felt both his nose and throat burn with agony!

He choked and, as a result, looked away before a sudden spray of wine shot from his mouth. This was followed by a series of coughs. Steven covered his mouth with his sleeve, in an effort to minimise the commotion he was creating.

His head felt hot, while he felt the coughs and burning slow down. As this happened, Steven looked up to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

It. Was. Her.

But it wasn't the usual her. No. She was in flat-out formal dress apparel. A black, sleeveless maxi dress was her dress of choice. Her hair was beautifully curled to perfection, and much better than the last time he remembered, with her platinum blond hair flowing perfectly from her head to her shoulders to her knees. She was wearing heels and she was slowly, slowly, walking towards him. Her face turned to look at the oceanic horizon, where the sunset shined on her – glamorously. It looked as if the direction was east and she was –

Cynthia.

In a matter of moments, she took the seat across the table from Steven. Their eyes met. In Cynthia's eyes, Steven appeared well-dressed and his hair well kept. She noticed he had even opted to wear cuffs and a watch. Steven, though, saw a very, very, different person. She radiated a scent of perfume that refreshed his senses and… radiant earrings and a necklace.

What really stunned him, though, were her eyes. Eyeshadow and lashes, alongside other lightly added forms of makeup, made her face _shine_.

"_Bonsoir_," Cynthia greeted, albeit nervously.

Steven was still in shock of seeing _her_ like never before. Truly, he was expecting an actress to show up as a guest, but why did it have to be _her_? He didn't know how to react. He was caught in the middle of shock and amazement.

* * *

"Just what are you looking at, Lisia?"

"Shhh! Uncle! Have you ever seen a man looking _that_ handsome?" Lisia said to Wallace, which earned a smirk from the latter. "He looks like he's got one well-chosen date too."

"Oh, you mean you're talking about someone more handsome than me?" he placed a hand over his heart, as if his niece had mortally offended him. "Has Lisia finally found someone she loves? And she's really, really, jealous?! That's life, my dear."

Unfortunately for Wallace, he became well aware that Winona, who sat beside him, had the same expression on her face Lisia had. She was silent, graceful as she was, but this was different. Now feeling uneasy, Wallace slowly and shakily turned his head around to see what was behind him.

In the distance, no doubt, was Steven. But _this_ Steven looked different, and… he had a date?! Not to mention that this date looked too familiar. Ah, of course, it was Cynthia. But, Wallace had to hand it to her, she looked beautiful. Not as beautiful as Winona, of course, but still – her appearance would catch any man's eyes.

In Winona's case, she felt the exact same emotions Wallace had, except her attention was directed at Steven. True, she had known Steven as a fellow Pokémon League colleague for so many years, but now she felt dumbstruck. She was looking at Steven as if she was seeing him for the very first time, and he looked extraordinarily handsome.

For Lisia, though, the effect lasted shorter. Maybe it was because of her youth. However, she caught wind of her uncle's expression and his girlfriend's which stayed fixed on their faces for some time. Lisia looked up, and noticed that their waitress was staring away at Steven with the same expression.

_I could think of the next chapter of Steven's love life right now!_ Lisia thought. _Oh… if only I had room to pose, I'd do it!_

* * *

**I would still be laughing at this point, in my case! Dinner has not been served yet, but feel free to enjoy a glass of _sirop de grenadine_ by reviewing as you wait!**

**In the meantime, I have to get to studying...**


	18. The Stone Open

**With the end of my exams for the fall term, I'm free to keep on writing for the next week! Although I have to admit I might be short on time because I just want to relax from doing all my studying. Alas, I had to have this chapter written as a gift of pleasure for my faithful reviewers.**

**So! Here's a glass of _sirop de grenadine_ for dawnleaf1234 (special thanks), Anime Review's, The Legendary Falcon Fall, and The same honoured guest (Please tell me you were pleased. You seemed happy! Merry Christmas to you too). Also, for QUEENSPELLER67, you get a glass of _sirop de grenadine_ as well, but help yourself to some croquembouche. A credit extends to Yuu. Please join in!**

**So, The Legendary Falcon Fall... Is Steven falling in love? Perhaps... or not.**

**It is... December 25th! So here is my Christmas present! A new chapter!**

* * *

_**Chapter eighteen: The Stone Open**_

"So? What's with the splash of wine on this tablecloth?" Cynthia said very, very, coolly to Steven, who was still at a loss for words. "I'd have thought you'd try to greet a guest better than that!"

Steven did not know what to say, but he could feel his heart racing.

"Y – Y – You're…" he couldn't bear to look at her in the eye, as if he somehow felt out of place. "You're not the actress I – we – I was expecting… Er… uh… Would you like something to drink?"

Cynthia picked up the empty glass with one hand, and examined it carefully like an archeologist would to an artifact. Sighing, she placed it down on the table and nodded back. Steven, still partly unsure of what to do and still absorbing the shock of seeing _her_ sitting in front of him, turned around to the same waitress who had poured him his wine earlier.

Still not comprehending the full beauty of what he was seeing in front of him, his mind was going in different directions. But for all he knew he still had to treat Cynthia like a regular guest. "What would you like to drink?" he asked.

"I'll have what you're having." Cynthia's response was immediate.

Steven took a deep breath as if he hadn't registered what she had just said. Silently he turned his head to look at his side. One snap of his fingers, and the waitress returned with the bottle. She cautiously poured Cynthia the same red wine into her glass, but Cynthia could detect shaky hands still. Steven tried to watch the sight warmly, but he really wanted to feel cold for once.

_To think I was going to reserve this bottle for our special guest_, he thought.

Nevertheless, part of him wanted the sight of Cynthia to make up for it. Once the glass was filled, she picked it up to sip it slowly. Sighing, Cynthia held her glass up to swirl it several times with her wrist before sipping again. In all of Steven's experience with dining in his own restaurant, he had never felt this uncomfortable…

"Mm… This is a very delicate choice of wine. I can taste it," Cynthia complimented. "You really shouldn't have spoiled me, my friend."

_Er… Right, as if I intended for you to try it_, Steven thought.

He took a deep breath before saying, "I've been told that my guest was supposed to be an actress, but since you're clearly not her, I can't say for certain if you're welcome here."

Cynthia's reply was cool. "I'm that extra guest that actress had reserved notified your receptionists about. Now, I can see you've set aside an extra seat here, so you should have been expecting me. But of course, anonymity is a thing that exists in booking."

Mesmerised by her beauty again, whether it was because of her hair or her eyeshadow, never mind her jewelry or even her choice of dress, Steven turned away so as to not look at her. He _had_ to remind himself that this woman was his chief competition. But – _how_ was it possible to think of her that way when she was a completely different person before him?

"So, while we wait," Cynthia said, apparently not noticing Steven's state, "I've been wondering what sort of dishes you'll be serving me tonight. Oh, and I'd like you to serve them to me, personally. It'll make _this_ dining experience more authentic, wouldn't you say?"

Steven opened his mouth to say something, but no sound out at first. Choosing his thoughts carefully, he then said, "That's not really how I do company procedure, especially on request. But I don't see –"

"Nuh-uh, your first priority is the customer, and in this case, a very _special_ customer," Cynthia said those words as if trying to pierce them into Steven's mind. "You have to make sure _this_ customer is satisfied."

Before Steven could say anything, his words were stopped short by the soft, yet evil, smile the woman across was giving him. Even if her hair was long enough to cover one of her eyes, she was looking splendid.

"_This_ customer expects a first-class dinner," she said as if she was enjoying the speechless face Steven was giving her. "_This_ customer wants top-class service. Even if you must do it yourself! _This_ customer would expect nothing less than the chef being her personal host."

Mortified and defeated, in a way, Steven looked directly into Cynthia's eyes. Those beautiful eyes complimented by eyeshadow.

"Shall I interest you in a salad?" he finally asked.

Cynthia stared back into his eyes for a moment, before she turned to look aside at the glimmering sunset that made this restaurant so well-known. Slowly, she returned her gaze back to Steven and giving a nod at the same time. Steven did not smile, but he acknowledged the order and subsequently stood up.

On the way back, well away from Cynthia, he felt a cold hand clamp onto his shoulder.

"Now, I know you're one for style, my friend, but _wow_. I am impressed! Any woman would love to make your acquaintance. It seems like all those years searching for one haven't gone to waste!"

Steven hung his head. Why did it have to be _him_ again?

"Wallace. I don't think this is the time –"

"Just _wow_! You've wowed everyone woman in the city! Or at least you could!" Wallace continued, and went as far as standing in front of Steven so as to get in his way. "How would I know this? Both my niece and Winona have taken a liking to you! Now, if Lisia was your age, you'd be the first on her dating list, but of course I wouldn't allow it."

Steven looked very annoyed.

"Aha, and then there's _you_ and _her_," Wallace emphasised the 'her' in particular. "I thought you had something of a grudge against her, and now look at you. The truth comes out! Wow, I wouldn't have thought you had the gut to ask her out for dinner in your own restaurant. I'll admit, Cynthia looks marvelous tonight, wouldn't you say?"

He just loved the look he was receiving on Steven's end. The latter was taken aback, severely, looking more like he didn't know what comeback to think of.

"Sure. Maybe she does look stunning tonight –" Steven began.

"YES! Now you're speaking my language," Wallace interrupted, which made his friend all the more annoyed. "This is your big moment, Steven. Don't spoil it. You're the ideal man for the ideal woman, so this is your moment of – opportunity."

"But she wasn't – she's not – she's – she wasn't invited here in the first place!" Steven protested. "Well… in a way."

Wallace's face became smug. "Just try to be the gentleman she deserves. You will do that or I will make it happen. You decide. Oh, and don't worry if you fail, because that's what I'm here for! Moral support, right? Between friends?"

However, Steven suddenly caught wind that Wallace, Winona, and Lisia were here on this floor.

"Wait just a moment," Steven said, suddenly staring into Wallace's eyes. "How _did_ you get onto this floor? It was supposed – I'm told that this floor was completely booked private!"

"My friend, that is a tale for another time," Wallace replied in a manner suggesting he didn't care. "I'll tell you that a mutual friend of mine has kindly –"

The head chef could not have felt more exasperated. So he left.

* * *

Cynthia watched Steven approach her table with a plate of salad in his hand. She had to admit, it seemed out of the ordinary that Steven would be serving her food, even though she had kind of forced him into it. However, she had to admit that Steven looked stylish nonetheless. Particularly with the unusual slim white tie and his suit.

"Er… Yes," Steven muttered, bringing the salad plate in front of Cynthia. "Watmel berry salad, if you don't mind. _Bon appetit._"

Cynthia, though, held up her glass of wine to swirl it several times. After bringing the glass to her lips to savour it slowly, as if she were treasuring the moment, she set the glass down. She noticed Steven had a plate of the same Watmel berry salad before him.

Watmel berry was served, sliced and diced by the cooks and decorated with herbs, pistachio bits, feta fragments, and some traces of greens. It wasn't the picture of a typical salad, with the unusual absence of greens, but it was a salad no less.

As expected, it was served on a stone plate.

Cynthia picked up her fork to spear one of the Watmel pieces. She speared a piece delicately and put the piece into her mouth and, of course, she chewed. Her eyes then fixed on Steven's fork before fixing them on _his_ eyes, as if asking him to join her.

It was a silent dinner for that part. The only thing that made the moment more unsettling, but _romantic_, was the glamourous sunset to their side alongside the view of the stunning Kalos coast.

Steven wondered just how much longer he could last. Uncomfortably, he helped himself to some Watmel berry salad too. He loved the flavour of a savoury fragrance blended with the watery sweetness that made the Watmel berry special, but he wondered how Cynthia would react too.

Halfway through eating, Steven decided to engage in some conversation. "So… How was your day? Anything exciting happen? It's only been like three days since you were last here. Oh, and I'm even more surprised that you showed up here. I thought you would have… Never mind."

In truth, Steven was more surprised _she_ showed up here at all. After the debacle with Cynthia's supplier and the disclosure of a secret, he would have expected _her_ of all people to have avoided coming here at all – and especially in such a form! From a business perspective, he had to admit there had to be a catch somewhere. However, as she was a guest, could he really think that way?

Cynthia put down her fork to stare away, deep in thought. She was actually trying what would be the best topic to keep Steven interested, but there wasn't much she could think about. But it didn't take long for her to think of something, on the other hand.

"I just operated my business as usual," she said, finally. "I had some interesting customers who showed up just for chocolate fondue. That reminds me… Steven, look at me in the eye."

He felt frozen when Cynthia's gaze pierced into his.

"Did you stop by my coffee shop?"

"I… No," Steven lied, and discreetly had another bite of salad to take his mind off things.

By the time that only a glimmer of sunshine was above the oceanic horizon like it was eclipsing the sky and sea, Steven saw to serving Cynthia a round of soup. At this point, the Stone Restaurant and Bistro had – as directed by James d'Arc – shifted to nighttime procedure, and therefore dinner hours. The glass windows, spanning a height from floor to ceiling, provided a still-marvelous backdrop as the regular lights dimmed to make way for the nighttime lights. Hanging lights from the ceiling provided a modern air, whereas lights fixed on the ceiling gave the restaurant atmosphere something workable.

Cynthia was a little unsure if she was enjoying herself. Nevertheless, she continued to munch on her salad whilst observing the handsome man sitting across her.

* * *

From a distant corner, four heads peeked from behind to spy on the pair. Martine, James, Sophie, and Laurent. Although they were there to primarily spy on their boss, they were divided. Martine and Sophie couldn't help staring away at Steven in his handsome attire. It was worth noticing that the sight of seeing their boss made them blush. James still had a concerned eye for Steven, but he ended up looking in Cynthia's direction once in a while. Laurent's jaw dropped in exactly the same way when he saw Cynthia in the first place.

"It's a shame this woman is _the_ one," Martine sighed. "I'm soooooo jealous."

"Hey, we're not playing matchmaker here," Sophie whispered, though she still eyed Steven with some degree of envy. "Besides, how would you know?"

Martine was about to say why, but realised that it would be best if James didn't know that she had searched Steven's office for the reason. So she kept quiet. The way she was leaning was a bit uncomfortable, but she supposed watching this was worth it.

"Wait. Who's handling the lobby?" James suddenly said.

Laurent and Sophie looked at each other, with Sophie looking up and Laurent looking down into her eyes.

"Uh…"

"I'm not sure. I want to stay!"

Sophie's face became a pout, and looked at Laurent with pleading eyes.

"Pleeeeaaaase? Laurent? Do it for me?"

Whatever was in Sophie's eyes was enough to make Laurent shudder. Not that he was intimidated, but that she was seemingly _charming_ when he looked in her eyes. As if she was trying to charm him!

"Wait, you're not using this as an excuse to keep seeing our boss, are you?"

"What else?"

Realising what she had said, Sophie blushed and turned to look at Steven and Cynthia again. Rolling his eyes, Laurent quietly retreated back to the front desk in order to manage the flow of customers that were coming in. Although, he left Sophie with a request that she continually update him on what was going on between Steven and Cynthia.

Upon reaching the lobby, Laurent found that a crowd had amassed before the front desk. They were mostly made of… not-so-ordinary people. The thing was that everyone was holding at least one camera, or lights, or microphones. It was as if a movie crew had decided to show up.

"Can I help you with anything?" he cautiously asked. He wasn't one to judge, but based on the unsettling behaviour of the crowd, they were not here to eat.

"We have a reservation for a party of sixty," a photographer went up to him. "It should be on the third floor."

Finding it odd that Steven and Cynthia were eating on that floor, Laurent ran through the details on his computer. "I have no records indicating a reservation of that kind whatsoever."

"Your system must have a problem," a second photographer joined the first. "Very well. In that case, we want to see your boss."

Now thinking of Steven, who was clearly busy, Laurent tried to think of a solution. Perhaps that's what James was for. Rather than responding directly to the photographers, Laurent reached for the phone beside him to call for James… and Sophie. There was an excuse to get her here now and focus on working! Oh, if only there were similar excuses for the others too. Then again, he wouldn't mind switching places with Sophie at the moment.

From the looks of it, it was as if a riot could start at the drop of a glass.

By the time Laurent put down the phone, he saw to investigate this aggressive behaviour from this photographer. To be safe, Laurent made sure that a Pokémon was deployed to maintain order. He was no Trainer, but he kept a Hawlucha with him just to keep him company at home. On the other hand, he would initiate phone calls with Sophie from time to time, as having her as a co-worker provided him with a local friend.

"I will require your name and number, just to ensure if what you say can be verified," Laurent demanded. "You can do this while we wait for my manager to arrive."

* * *

A waitress had arrived to collect the empty salad plates from Steven and Cynthia. It wasn't before long that Steven returned with two cups of soup. A bowl was optional, but Steven thought it was best that his intended guest enjoy smaller portions of the meal, as these were meant to be appetizers. Now, with an unintended guest taking the intended guest's place, Steven was less sure.

"So what do you do in your spare time?" Cynthia asked. She tasted the soup, which she found surprisingly good.

It was difficult to talk to her still, when she seemed just so…

Steven could not describe her still. For starters it was difficult to describe his own feelings right now, whereas his eyes were hypnotised by Cynthia's jewelry or the dress that left her arms and shoulders exposed, and it wasn't helping that Wallace was here. Speaking of which, he better think of something fast to avoid having Wallace commit some sort of disastrous intervention.

He also felt self-conscious of how handsome all the other women – Lisia and Winona included – perceived him. Would he have the same effect on Cynthia? That could be advantageous, but then again, the thought of Wallace intervening was the last thing he wanted. In a way, Wallace was his executioner unless he got things right.

Putting a spoonful of creamy soup into his mouth and gulping it down after, Steven replied, "You know me. I'm something of a rock maniac. I adore rocks, so whenever I'm not busy, I'll just head out of the city to nearby Route 8 and the Connecting Cave to explore."

She studied him carefully as if trying to detect any suspicion that he was lying, but in her eyes she was distracted by the handsome face and the fine suit he wore. Was he trying that as if to influence her, or was it just because he was in the mood? She assumed the latter, as his intended guest wasn't due to arrive for a while.

"What about you?"

"Oh?" Cynthia perked. "I'm just happy with reading history books, you know? While I'm here, I thought I'd study some Kalos legends here, but only in my downtime, mind you."

She went on helping herself to more soup, and even so, Steven found it difficult whether to take this as a welcome sight or an unwelcome one. Silently, he joined her in taking in more soup too. And, regarding his new recipe, what was he to do about it? It was completely prepared and everyone, or at least the cooks, expected him to serve it to the invited guest. Of all people, it had to be her.

He looked into her shadowed eyes, as beautiful as they were. "Would you be interested in the entrée tonight? It's not my trademark Accolade, but I hope it might suffice?"

In the time Steven had gone, Cynthia merely picked up her glass of wine to sip what was left in it. Sighing, she signalled the waitress to have her pour a little more. The waitress did indeed return with the bottle but she seemed more edgy than ever.

"Ooh… I can't believe how lucky of a girl you are!" she squealed, as she poured the bottle's contents into Cynthia's glass so it was quarter-full.

"Wha…? What's that supposed to mean?" Cynthia questioned. She was annoyed, but no less anxious.

"Oh, _please_," she said sarcastically. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed! Well, your loss."

Even with that tone, the waitress wore a smile as she left Cynthia. Now, Cynthia knew she was exhibiting something of political behaviour – that she could try to manipulate some of her competition by saying mere words, but in this case it seemed to have backfired on her. However, she could tell that she had flattered her rival, and was fine with just that. After all, this was meant to be a formal dinner. Relaxed, she picked up her glass to sip more wine.

There was much to appreciate for Diantha having booked the entire floor off. Had anyone noticed that it was just her and Steven dining together would be a real embarrassment for herself. At the same time, it could be used to embarrass her rival too. While she was enjoying dinner, there were some political motives for coming.

Plus, she had a surprise planned for Steven if Diantha actually showed up to the restaurant.

* * *

Many minutes later, Steven returned to the table with a single dish on a square stone plate, which was baked hot. He decided that given he had his partial fill of the recipe from much earlier, it was better to just serve the one dish on its own to his guest.

Cynthia raised her eyebrows when the dish was placed in front of her. It smelled wonderful.

"Impressive." That was her coolly-stated remark. "Tell me, what would you call this dish?"

On the stone plate was nothing more than a sandwich, but it was open-faced, so it had ingredients piled on it such that it would be difficult to eat with bare hands. A fire-roasted beefsteak cut into pulled shreds lay piled on top of the hot baguette, with a blend of the spice of Tamato berry and sweet onions, and the creamy LaBrie cheese that was molten flawlessly and drizzled all over the bread.

"I haven't thought of a name for it," Steven admitted. "This is a brand-new recipe that only a select few could try out first."

"You mean that I'm the very first to taste it," she whispered. "I like your shoes, by the way."

Steven couldn't help but peek at his shoes. They were still smoke-white in colour. Was Cynthia being honest? Or was she playing games here? However… he became conscious of his actions; that by serving her the newest dish in his arsenal, it would be like serving her out of _affection_. Wait, would she see that the same way?

At the same time, Cynthia picked up her knife and fork to begin to eat. He watched her delicately cut out a piece of baguette with a little of LaBrie, beef shred, and onion on it, and popped it in her mouth. He wasn't jealous of her, as the dish was his own creation, but he still carried that same feeling that this dish wasn't for her.

Another side of Steven, however, seemed happy that a customer was enjoying this dish.

"You still haven't answered my question," Cynthia said to break Steven's thoughts. "What do you call this entrée?"

As Steven had not given her an immediate answer, and given she was first to taste the new recipe, Cynthia deduced that Steven had no idea. She picked up her glass to sip from it, and putting it down and brushing her hair to cover her left eye again, as if to infatuate him.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'm sure you'll have a name for it."

Steven took a deep breath. He tried to avoid her gaze but failed. "I call the Stone Open. It'll probably be the successor to my flagship dish, I assure you, since this has been my best idea in months."

"I'll toast to that," Cynthia said, picking up her glass once more.

Steven wasn't too sure of what to do, as she had her glass held up in front of her so it was in between his eyes and hers. Was it a show of friendship here? Or was there political motive? Then again, it wasn't every day that he dressed this nice for dinner, and with a very beautifully dressed woman sitting across from him.

Still holding his breath, Steven picked up his glass of wine too. Their glasses clinked.

* * *

**Now what do you think of these circumstances? Heh, now dinner is served, with a delicious serving of the Stone Open, with Watmel berry salad, and soup. Please review to place your order! And Merry Christmas!**


	19. Harbinger of Flattery

**Happy New Year everyone! Now, I've been spending quite a bit of time developing the next few chapters, but in my carelessness I kind of forgot to upload this chapter. Plus, it doesn't help knowing I'm still a full-time student for the time being. Over Christmas, I'm happy to say I got plenty of writing done!**

**I'm quite disappointed that I haven't received a lot of orders last time. dawnleaf1234 (my special guest), please, have a seat and enjoy a serving of the Stone Open, with Watmel berry salad, and soup! Albeit, I trust everyone was busy with the New Year, yeah? QUEENSPELLER67, please refer to the chapter 'Croquembouche' to get your answer, and without further please enjoy dinner! A Stone Open, Watmel berry salad, and soup.**

**It is also with pleasure that I have taken the liberty of using a new book cover for Culinary Rivals. The image itself, though slightly modified, belongs to its rightful and respective owner, and I take no credit for its development whatsoever. It still looks nice!**

* * *

_**Chapter nineteen: Harbinger of Flattery**_

James d'Arc had never expected the lobby situation to be so serious.

When Laurent had raised the issue to him and Sophie informing a group of sixty people had showed up uninvited, James went to the lobby immediately in an attempt to calm the situation. At first, they appeared to be regular paparazzi. However, upon the first few minutes of interaction, James could tell they were all acting like an angry mob altogether. It was fortunate that Laurent's Hawlucha was able to keep things in order for now.

"I'm afraid we have no records for a party of sixty," James said very sternly to the group. "If that is all, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises."

"I'm warning you, let us in! We have work to do!" someone yelled.

Soon enough, Laurent had made a call to Sophie via the receptionist phone. It had taken about eight minutes before Sophie was by Laurent's side. By then, she realised how serious the matter was.

As she and Laurent always had the occasional Pokémon battle, so she kept a Pokémon with her likewise. In her case, a Clauncher in which she sent out in support of Laurent's Hawlucha. James was on the front line, trying to keep the atmosphere calm.

"If you will not comply or if you are not willing to make some reservations now, I will ask you again to leave the premises, or I will call the _gendarme_." There was no room for negotiation now. James had resorted to threatening.

Some of the group had started to leave the lobby for outside, but the majority stayed where they were. James, as sous chef, had to get more information, because these people were behaving so suspiciously.

"State your business," he demanded.

"We're here…" someone started.

"We're here to have dinner! Is it that hard to understand?!" another paparazzo shouted.

James, however, glared at them. Sophie and Laurent looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do, but they continued to support James all the same. Their claims were not making sense in that they 'booked' reservations on the third floor when clearly the floor had been closed off. Sophie took the liberty of showing the records.

"Consider this your final warning," James clearly was annoyed now. "Leave!"

For two minutes, it looked like a standoff, and subsequently James nodded to Laurent and Sophie to begin evicting the mob from the lobby. With Hawlucha's and Clauncher's assistance, progress was made. James, while pleased that the situation hadn't escalated, wasn't sure of what to do with these people once they were _outside_ the building.

"Oh, you're clearing the road for me? And keeping these people at bay?" a sharp, crisp, voice spoke from beyond. "Honestly, I'm flattered."

Outside, James realised that there was someone else waiting just in front of the doors. A woman, remarkably dressed in a white coat, white dress, and heels, swiftly bypassed the crowd who, on the other hand, had just realised she was in their presence and had hastily begun to start up their cameras. A celebrity, no doubt.

Even Sophie and Laurent could hear those words from where they were (of course, as they were taking part in the crowd control), and it was followed by the sound of clicking cameras. The numerous flashes blinded pretty much everyone (thankfully, neither Hawlucha nor Clauncher, who were still handling crowd control), but this woman, who was sporting sunglasses, seemed used to it. Realising the situation, Sophie motioned Laurent to keep the crowds at bay. Doing what they could, James, Laurent, Hawlucha, and Clauncher did their best to create something of a walkway for the celebrity to pass through. The paparazzi were forced to stand on the sides, behind the makeshift barriers of James and Laurent to allow this woman to pass through. The constant clicking of cameras went on as she went forward to meet Sophie.

Sophie ended up grinning. Without a doubt, she (and probably Laurent and James) recognised her as Diantha, the regionally popular actress who also served as Kalos League Champion. Of course, she was expected given she made a reservation earlier.

"_Bienvenue au Stone Restaurant and Bistro_," Sophie greeted. "_Bonsoir,_ Diantha. You're expected."

Although wearing sunglasses, Diantha turned her head a little to see the paparazzi capturing her every move. She turned back to look at Sophie.

"You're too kind."

It appeared that taking the elevator was a better option (not the kitchens' private elevator, of course), and it also appeared more necessary that she continue to be escorted. Diantha didn't seem to mind the number of photographers who attempted to get past James and Laurent, since they were halted by Clauncher anyway.

Moreover, Sophie took the liberty of personally escorting Diantha to her seat. Plus, she could use this as an excuse to see her handsome boss again… Oh, Sophie could imagine how jealous Laurent would be right now. But still, she _did_ promise him earlier that she would provide updates on what was going on.

Whereas the paparazzi desperately tried to make contact with Diantha.

"Diantha! Diantha! Look over here!" one of the photographers called out, but her voice was drowned by the others who said exactly the same thing.

But by the time Diantha was safely in the elevator, escorted by Sophie, the journalists and photographers had no way of getting close to her now. James made it absolutely clear that no one was to get through.

As a result, most of the people remained on the floor to have as many pictures taken of Diantha as possible. However, a fraction of the people had other ideas. Two people stayed in the lobby to blend with the crowd. One was a photographer. The other a journalist.

The photographer decided to send out a Vivillon, and initiated a series of Supersonic attacks to start, and left everyone – save for her accompanying journalist – confused. The duo took advantage of their window of opportunity and made a dash for the stairs.

Interestingly enough, when Diantha appeared, the crowd had settled down. Much to the relief of James d'Arc, who worried a riot could start at any given moment.

* * *

"I'm surprised you haven't got any music here tonight," Cynthia muttered. "The last time I was here, there was a grand piano."

"That was a special occasion," Steven said back. "Of course, I did have time to think of some improvements to the dining experience here. Mind you, some I can't tell you, but others…"

He snapped his fingers, and an accordionist, a clarinetist, and a bass guitarist showed up on another side of floor. Given there were some walls dividing up the floor a little, the musicians found whatever space they had and, after sitting on some stools they brought with them, began to play. Smiling slightly, Cynthia turned her attention to her entrée.

The Stone Open was a delicious piece of work. Cynthia had to hand that to Steven. It occurred to her that _he_ wasn't having any of it himself, which she found strange. The entrée was so delicious, she even wanted her Garchomp to try it too. However, Steven was against the idea.

"This is a dish that should be enjoyed alone while you are still the first to taste it," Steven suggested. "Perhaps your Garchomp could wait another time."

She raised her eyebrows, so that their eyeshadow seemingly _gleamed_ at _him_ that was enough to make him shudder. To take his mind off her, Steven breathed, and lifted his glass to sip more of the wine (for a moment, forgetting that this wine was supposed to be reserved for the coming actress, and he still hadn't caught the actress' name). Cynthia giggled just a little.

"Oh, you're too much, honestly," she said, but she complied with Steven's request nonetheless. "I have to ask, though: why aren't you joining me for dinner? You're not having any of the food yourself."

Steven couldn't think of an answer at first. Yet, it didn't take long for him to form one, and by then Cynthia had another bite of baguette.

"I actually had one of these earlier," he answered. "Don't forget that this is a brand new dish, so you can imagine the number of times I've tried it! In all seriousness, I've eaten, but I'm more than happy to join you at the table. At least we've had one of those Watmel berry salads, eh?"

_She_ smiled, and once again Steven found himself mesmerised by her beauty – her makeup, hair, and dress said it all. Words failed him once more, and if he thought that another sip of wine would take his mind off things, he was badly wrong (that is, he refrained from picking up his glass). On the other hand, Cynthia could notice this, evidently.

"You look good, by the way," Steven added absentmindedly, like he had no idea what he was saying. Cynthia's cheeks went pink, and when Steven caught wind of what he had said, his cheeks went pink as well.

"Um, Steven, would you care to elaborate on that?" she giggled even more.

With that charming smile on her lips in front of him, Steven felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He was placed in her limelight and she was expecting an answer from him. Actually, it felt more like a hellhole than anything. He was trapped in his own words, no thanks to her.

"What I meant to say is – I mean, what I meant was –" Steven stammered. "I mean that out of all the guests I've had here at this restaurant, there's no need to say how… beautiful you look." After he said that, Steven felt like slapping himself. Who was he to say this?! This woman was practically his enemy! He felt like his body was being ripped apart, let alone his mind. It was being torn between conflicting sides.

Therefore, unfortunately, his mind was not in good shape. He wanted to stay focused that he was competing against her, and she was ripping apart his business in longer runs, but how could he do that when she was… completely someone else?

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Cynthia scoffed, but she smiled no less. "Alas, I'm glad to have dined here with such a handsome host, and a fellow friend no less. You're looking pretty good too. Are those cuffs I see on your sleeves?"

Steven looked down at his right-side cuff for a moment, and before he could even say anything, he looked up to see Cynthia's face directly in front of him. She was looking straight into his face once more, even though she had one eye hidden behind her hair.

"I love your suit," she whispered, albeit through a blush. "You picked a nice one, for sure. Not to mention your face looks… outstanding."

This was more than enough to make Steven blush too. She had just complimented him… and was that perfume he could smell? He secretly took in a breath to smell it, and after realising what he was doing, he turned his head away to look at what was left of the sunset. If wine won't help, he hoped the scenery was a better solution. However, the smell of her perfume lingered around him, and set his senses into astray.

"I… Your eyeshadow is lovely, too," he said back.

Cynthia stayed silent for a moment to examine Steven while she didn't have his attention. She couldn't believe herself that she was looking at him as if he was the most handsome man in the world. He was her host, he served her dinner, and he looked stunning. In her bones, she felt like this man was a different person from the one who had bribed her berry supplier.

For a precious few minutes, Cynthia felt comfortable, as if she hadn't been comfortable earlier. On Steven's part, he began to relax. As he watched the sunlight fade away, he turned his attention to Cynthia again, and this time, he felt much better that Cynthia came here looking as if she wasn't carrying a grudge. On the contrary, she still looked stunning no less, and it helped that the restaurant's lighting made the skin of her face, one of her shoulders, and her slim arms _shine_. But his mind was still in an uncomfortable state.

How many times was he going to be thinking this way?! He couldn't help himself.

* * *

Elsewhere, at a nearby table, the food that was served to Wallace, Winona, and Lisia had gone stone cold (no pun intended). As expected, the obvious reason for the food going cold was that the three were observing the interaction between the two former Champions at a lone table near the ceiling-high window.

"At this rate…" Wallace said, with arms behind his head and reclining body, "he'll win her over in no time. Ha! I never thought I'd see the day… I'm glad he took my advice!"

"You know, Wallace, I hardly see Steven behaving like a gentleman, there," Winona muttered. "He looks like he's already fallen in love with her. Oh… Steven…"

Once again, Winona had fallen into another deep sigh at the sight of _that_ Steven. Wallace didn't know if he ought to be happy for Steven or that he should be jealous of him in that Steven was a hit on his girlfriend. So, he had an idea.

"Look at me, Winona." Wallace leaned over the table such that he was positioned right in front of her; enough to capture her attention. "Is he that much more handsome than me? He doesn't have the looks, right?"

Winona blinked, and so did Lisia.

"You know what, Wallace?" Winona said it straight. "He does look more handsome than you. Just look at that face! That hair! That… suit… Oh… That… suit…"

That hurt.

It was as if Winona had taken Wallace's heart out and smashed it to bits. The first reaction, Wallace's jaw dropped; and the second reaction, his face was frozen.

Lisia, hoping to ignore what was going on in her uncle's mind, decided to finish whatever was left of her dinner. Still, although she kept her eyes fixed on what was going on between Steven and Cynthia, she failed to ignore her uncle's dejected expression.

When Lisia did look at Wallace, she saw his eyes red with tears.

"No… no…!" Wallace cried. As dramatic and flamboyant as Wallace was, no surprise to Lisia, he clutched his chest as if he was mortally wounded. Gasping for air, it appeared he was approaching the brink of death, like a thousand shards of glass piercing into his heart.

Still, Winona ignored him, which brought him further down in misery. It took a long moment before Winona realised just how close Wallace was to her face. Giggling, she pushed him back, and he collapsed on his chair, still breathing heavily.

"Oh, please," Winona rolled her eyes. "Stop that!"

But Wallace was still appalled and his face showed it. Even so, Winona turned back to look and observe Steven again, and resumed her sighing. For Lisia's part, the most she did was give gently take her uncle's hand and gently pat it in an effort to calm him down.

* * *

Steven picked up his glass to sip his wine again, though his glass was almost empty. Cynthia took the time to enjoy what was left of her dinner, in the Stone Open. Even after so long, the baked stone was relatively warm… and when Cynthia looked at Steven enjoying his wine, she decided to pick up her glass again too.

It was then she was reminded the tablecloth had stains that smelled of alcohol.

"By the way, what's with the tablecloth?" she asked. "You still haven't answered me."

"Oh, that," Steven, now taken aback, blushed again. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "That was the result of… seeing you, I guess. I mean, I totally wasn't expecting you of all people to arrive so –"

"Oh wait, it was you who spit out that wine?" Cynthia's voice became very amused.

Now self-conscious of what _she_ said, Steven mentally slapped himself again. Another flaw in his words, and he was embarrassing himself in front of _her_. He felt like Cynthia was really pushing him down this hellhole now. Although he had to take some share of the blame.

"Steven," she said, not waiting for him to come up with an answer. "Is there a reason you're serving me this wonderful dish? You know I'm only here by invitation, so you didn't really have to serve me this, you know…"

Now Steven could relax again. "I… had to."

She blinked.

"You can consider it a thank-you present for those vouchers you gave me. It's the least I can do." He couldn't believe he just said that, but was there anything bad about it?

Cynthia's face brightened, but Steven wasn't finished. He looked at her in the eyes again. In particular, her beautiful eyes covered delicately in eyeshadow.

"Besides, Cynthia, I was thinking… I mean, I was wondering…" he started.

It was then the waitress who had been assigned to Steven's table walked up to him, albeit in a still slightly flirtatious manner such that she looked _clumsy_. Even Cynthia could notice that, though she would agree that Steven would be a hit for just about any woman or girl tonight. If she counted herself, she would join the crowd too. If only Steven knew how she felt…

"_Your intended guest has finally arrived_," the waitress whispered, with which Steven replied with a nod.

There was no trace of sunlight left on the ocean horizon now. With nothing much more to say, Cynthia helped herself to finishing her Stone Open. In her honest opinion, two pieces of baguette was simply not enough.

"You know something, Steven?" Cynthia said. "You know that baguette is thin, so how is a guest supposed to really enjoy this? This is small!"

To her slight surprise, Steven smiled. This time, he smiled as a manager who would normally greet a guest on an everyday basis.

"I know, but let's consider that this is the first time I'm serving it to a guest, like we discussed. If something went wrong, then the harm would be small. But now I know that you like the dish, so… I'll toast you to that." He lifted up his glass to her.

As their glasses clinked, Steven could detect out of the corner of his eye… two women fast approaching his table. The first was Sophie, who looked as serious as ever… until her eyes fell on her boss (Steven) again, and her face softened. The other woman was… the actress.

Diantha. Of course.

"_Bonsoir, mademoiselle_ Diantha," he greeted. "Please, please. Join us."

Before Steven could register what happened, he felt a hand on his cheek pulling his head back to face Cynthia again. When Steven realised that it was _her_ who was touching his face, he was breathless, and not to mention wide-eyed.

Once more, he was looking into her beautiful eyes.

"Was there something you wanted to say, Steven?" she whispered.

Steven swallowed hard, along with his words.

"No," he replied. "Not at all."

* * *

**I would seriously be laughing hard at this point. Just imagine Steven's facial expressions!**

**Looks like they're getting warm...**

**Reviewing entitles you to a serving of the Stone Open. I'm not giving up on this entrée yet! However, dawnleaf1234 and QUEENSPELLER67, if you review, then please help yourselves to a serving of tea.**


	20. Heart on her Heart?

**Okay. I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated! It's been over a month! But hey, here's the story: by Week 5 of a university school term, the work gets extreme until the end of term! The good news is I've just finished a midterm, so I'm free to write all I want! At least until there's more schoolwork. Ugh... Nothing I can do about that.**

**Basically, I had intended to finish this chapter way earlier, but the one midterm I had this week needed a lot of study time, so...**

**dawnleaf1234 and QUEENSPELLER67, as you've already had a helping of the Stone Open, have a cup of tea!**

**Ryuu-kun and Dr Bound, you can have a serving of the Stone Open as well! Enjoy!**

**Here's to commemorate the 20th chapter of Culinary Rivals!**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty: Heart on her Heart?**_

All but a handful of people stayed on the third floor. At times, the Stone Restaurant and Bistro would provide white tablecloths for dinner guests, but often did they normally provide the cold, polished, tables to guests instead. Under special circumstances, like hosting a wedding or having a special guest, would the Stone Bistro supply tablecloths. It was night, and alongside the restaurant lighting up for the darkness to come, the candle boxes at each table came to life too.

Before long, Diantha was seated at the once-vacant seat at the table, with a glass of wine being poured by the same waitress. However, at this point, the waitress seemed close to laughing; that Diantha remained silent for the whole time. She gazed outside for a moment in the candle's light before being interrupted somewhat rudely by the waitress.

"That's _two_ women you're dining with tonight?" the waitress laughed. "Wow, Mr. Stone. I can't believe you… You're quite the player! So, who will it be?"

"Oh, please," Steven rolled his eyes. "Enough of that!"

But even when the waitress left the table, awkward silence followed. After Diantha took off her sunglasses and had wrapped her coat on her chair, thus revealing the white dress she wore underneath. Yet, she took into account just how sharply dressed Steven and Cynthia were. She was dressed in a black sleeveless maxi dress, and he was dressed in a charcoal gray suit with cuffs and a white tie. Was there something going on between them?

"Did something happen? You're very late," Steven was first to ask questions. "You see –"

"I take it you've eaten already?" Diantha interrupted. She could tell, seeing that there was an empty stone plate in front of Cynthia. "I'm famished."

"I'll see to getting your dinner straight away," Steven said abruptly, suddenly getting up to take Cynthia's plate away. "Oh, and if you ever need to refill your glass, Diantha, just send the waitress the word. She'll understand."

Diantha added, although a little awkwardly, "My Gardevoir would like a share in the meal too."

Steven nodded, but he sensed that Cynthia was annoyed. He didn't blame her, as he had initially told Cynthia that her Garchomp couldn't have a share. Now, he was clearly asserting his own hypocrisy, and that wasn't good.

"My Garchomp would like to try out more of your cheeses," Cynthia said, as if reading Steven's mind. "She'll love it."

He left the table soon after confirming the order, but Diantha's gaze was still fixed on him until he disappeared from sight (that is, into the private elevator that led to the kitchens). Cynthia, though, could clearly notice that.

"_Don't tell me that you're attracted to him,_" Cynthia muttered under her breath. This seemed to have snapped Diantha back to reality.

"Oh, sorry, Cynthia? Did you say something?"

"No! Not at all!" Cynthia quickly said. In an effort to recover her cool, she asked, "How long…? Has it really been three hours already?!"

"That's what the nurse told me," Diantha replied. "However, I'm happy you're able to take my reservation and saved my seat. So for that, thanks, Cynthia! But still, you're looking _dashing_ tonight. It's not like this is a hugely formal dinner."

"To be fair," Cynthia cut in, "you're wearing a dress too."

Between them, there really wasn't much to talk about – seriously. So they kept the conversation casual, from talking about food to the missed sunset. While Diantha admitted she envied Cynthia in that Cynthia got to experience sunset at the right time, she was more interested in talking about Steven.

"I wouldn't have thought he'd look this nice," she said. "Cynthia, what do you think about him?"

_Okay, so you definitely are attracted to him!_ Cynthia thought, with her mind half-amused and half… whatever words could describe it. She managed to not let her emotions show, but she did struggle a bit on how to answer.

"Just answer the question, or… maybe you find him _way_ too handsome for you," Diantha added as if trying to mess around with Cynthia a little. "Oh, don't worry. I've seen that magazine, you know. No one can get enough of that!"

In light of her conversation with Steven, she would have appeared to be speechless. But that wasn't the case with Cynthia, since she appeared perfectly calm. Diantha blinked once a smile curled at the side of her lips.

"Was I… interrupting something?" she covered her mouth as if trying to mock Cynthia. Cynthia still hadn't come up with a response to Diantha's remarks, such that it seemed she was better off not saying anything at all.

* * *

Steven wasn't surprised, but he wasn't pleased either when Wallace put a stop in his tracks on the way back to the kitchens again. Disturbingly, Wallace looked unusually happy, because within the happiness Wallace had contained some element of jealously. On the other hand, oddly, Winona followed Wallace as well.

"You're doing a great job at this gentleman thing," Wallace mockingly congratulated him. "You know, Steven, I knew you had it in you! Maybe at this rate you'll win her over for sure! I'm rooting for you, brother."

"Seriously, it's nothing personal! There's nothing going on between us!" Steven denied furiously. "Besides, this was supposed to be dinner with Diantha, not _her_! Don't forget that!"

"But my mutual friend – Diantha, mind you – invited me to have dinner here, didn't I mention that earlier?" Wallace reminded. "Long story short, you're doing an amazing job so far. You only need to impress Ms. Cynthia there with something drastic."

Steven was about to say something, but he noticed the way Winona was staring at him. Her face was totally relaxed, and if she could sigh, she would. The bottom line was that Steven had seen the expression on Winona's face many times already; be it Martine, Sophie, or the other waitresses. So to him it was no surprise, and he didn't take it personally since he harboured no feelings for Winona much. He would gladly give that privilege to Wallace.

"What would you have in mind…?" Steven muttered.

"Easy, my friend! You love her, right?" Wallace cheered, albeit Steven shook his head. "You only have to wait for right moment to do this…"

Before Steven realised it, Wallace had wrapped his arms around Winona, pulled her close, and kissed her quite… feverishly. Enough to make him and Winona satisfied, and snapping Winona out of her trance, but it was more than enough to make Steven uncomfortable, and even blush a bright pink.

"No! Just no! I won't – You can't suggest – No!" Steven was breathless. Embarrassed as he was.

Quickly as he could, Steven walked hastily away to the elevator to the kitchens. By then, Wallace let go of Winona, and Winona seemed bewildered. Rather than argue with Wallace, Winona marched back to her table, although blushing beet red, and sighed loudly.

* * *

Under a certain table on the floor, a duo of girls was busily doing what they came here to do. That is, performing the regular works of the paparazzi. One girl was a photographer, and the other was her sister, a journalist. It just so happened that the photographer was a Gym Leader as well, and while she might consider that sneaking past the crowd and restaurant staff with the use of her Pokémon being unethical, it was only part of her job.

Nevertheless, Viola, the photographer, had never expected to run into a man so handsome on this very floor. Her main reason for being here was to photograph Diantha, but it took a while before she realised she was taking more shots of Steven Stone than anyone else.

"Oh… gosh! He's… so…" Viola just couldn't stop aiming her camera at him.

"_Beau_?" Alexa, her sister, finished the sentence for her.

"_Tu as raison_," Viola affirmed.

They managed to sneak as many photo shots and write-ups as they could with Diantha, but they were both highly distracted by the two former Champions who were sharing the same table before Diantha had even arrived. It was no surprise the sisters had seen the 'Apples and Oranges' article, so seeing Steven and Cynthia together like this was a huge bonus.

"I can just imagine what kind of stories I can write up about this…" Alexa grinned, like a mad fangirl. "The man with all the ladies he wants: Steven Stone! Hey, what about getting pics before Diantha got here?"

"Oh, there's plenty of that," Viola grinned like an idiot. "I've got more of Steven, though."

Indeed, the sisters were so bewildered by Steven's appearance that they had mostly forgotten they were supposed to follow Diantha. It didn't matter, either way. They had plenty of time to watch Diantha, but for the time being they just _had_ to stare away at Steven, as he disappeared into the elevators. This left Viola with plenty of opportunity to sneak pictures of Diantha and Cynthia.

They didn't realise until the last moment that Steven's shoes, his fine smoke-white leather shoes, were positioned right beside Viola. If it wasn't for the tablecloth, Steven would surely have noticed them. Viola and Alexa held their breath before relaxing as Steven walked away.

* * *

Two plates of Watmel berry salad had been placed before Diantha's eyes; the same salad which Cynthia had eaten earlier with _him_. At the same time, with his other hand, Steven placed a wooden board between his seat and Cynthia's. In the light of the candle box, he realised that with Garchomp and Gardevoir seated he would require an extra chair. Fortunately, as the floor was booked off, there were plenty to take from.

"Tonight, I've picked out only a certain number of cheeses for your pleasure," Steven said, addressing this directly to Cynthia. "LaBrie, which comes from Lumiose City, having its signature creamy texture. Bleu de Sud-Est, supplied from Santalune City, forming the core of my Accolade dish. Then finally we have a local specialty, a cheese with plenty of bite to it, De Cyllage. It's excellent."

As he said this, Steven questioned why he found it more enjoyable to talk about this to someone whom he regarded as a competitor. His businesslike mind kicked into gear, but he became self-conscious once more that he was treating this woman as he would a guest. An honoured guest, no less.

Cynthia, smiling like the sunset, gestured Steven to join her. However, amusingly, Garchomp showed signs of disapproval of this, as she wasn't willing to share. So before either Cynthia or Steven could make a move, Garchomp cut out a block of the Bleu de Sud-Est to eat it. Unfortunately, Garchomp was repaid by the cheese's intense and sharp flavour, and she had to sit back and slowly eat it.

Diantha seemed to be enjoying herself.

"You know, has it ever occurred to both of you that you two look like… an ideal couple?" she said, hoping to poke some 'fun' into their minds. "You really didn't have to dress up for me – Okay, I'll admit I'm wearing a dress too – but you two… Wow. You've gone above and beyond."

With a small knife in hand, Cynthia delicately cut out a slice of LaBrie. She felt like wanting to deny that, but instead she remained silent, and slowly nibbled at the slice of cheese. Steven had a block of De Cyllage to eat, but like Cynthia he didn't answer Diantha either. In fact, Steven – much to Diantha's amusement – had the block of De Cyllage in his hand but didn't dare eat it. Instead, he sipped his wine.

"It's okay. You don't need to tell me your feelings," Diantha said. "I'm no dating expert, but come on, now. I'm not telling you to bow down to public pressure, but you at least you two have a few things in common. You two know how to dress well, and you're both former Champions."

Neither Steven nor Cynthia dared to look into each other's eyes.

"So between us," Diantha continued, "have you two ever thought about pursuing a relationship?"

Steven hid his hands beneath the table, awkwardly fiddling with his fingers, and kept his head down. Cynthia, though, looked surprisingly neutral – which wasn't a surprise as she was well-known for being cool and collected. Cynthia's eyes darted to Steven, nevertheless.

"To be honest," Steven said softly, almost inaudible, "I've never thought about that. I never have time to pursue a relationship, since I'm always so busy. Besides, even as a Champion, I've had too much work on my hands, and I don't know that many girls."

Cynthia had a gut feeling that Steven was hiding something, but she let it go.

"I would say the same thing too," Cynthia added, though sneaking a glance at Steven before looking at Diantha again.

However, Diantha's response was a giggle, as if she wasn't registering what she was hearing.

"How old are you two?" she asked. "I know you both look at least 24, right?"

"I'm 25," Steven cut in. "But you're close."

"Same here…" Cynthia muttered.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Diantha said almost as if she were close to shouting. "You two are getting to that age, and you won't be 25 forever! I know plenty of friends around your age who would be dating already!"

Before Steven could say another word, Diantha went on. "Besides, I know your good friend Wallace has a girlfriend, yeah? That is someone smart."

Steven had a sudden vivid flashback of Wallace kissing Winona not too long ago. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and tried his best to flush out the flashback, but to no avail. When he looked at Diantha again, she had just started on eating her salad.

"Hey, Diantha, it's not like you're that much older than us," Cynthia objected. "Maybe you're older than us by some few years, or so. Besides, why does it have to be my love life we're talking about? What about you? Seeing you know so much?"

Diantha shrugged. "Well, you know that you and Steven have been in the news a lot, lately. I'm moreover surprised that critics haven't reviewed your food as of late. How many Richissime stars have you acquired, anyway? I know Steven has one."

Initiated by the hotel of the same name, Richissime stars were merits presented to restaurants in Kalos. Professional food critics would review the food for quality, and the restaurant for comfort and service. As such, Richissime stars were awarded based on critic reviews and first-hand experience; and they were highly favourable. A maximum of three could be achieved.

"I… haven't got any yet," Cynthia started. "Wait a second, why are we talking about this?! Oh, I get it, you just don't want to talk about your love life, don't you now?"

Diantha giggled. "If you've ever read the newspapers or magazines," she said. "There's plenty of my life in there where the public doesn't know. Oh, and I would _never_ reveal if I was in a relationship, maybe until I'm married."

With nothing much more to say, but leaving them in awkward silence, Diantha took the opportunity to dig deeper. Gardevoir shook her head thinking Diantha was just wasting her time. Admittedly, Gardevoir could also tell that Diantha must have some degree of affection for Steven tonight, but she reserved her thoughts and quietly ate her salad.

"Still, if you don't have a girlfriend, Steven…" Diantha was all smiles. "I would gladly take that place for tonight. What do you think, Cynthia?" The way Steven saw it, Diantha looked just as eager as a certain redhead he knew – Martine, of course. Wait. Was that _flirting_ he had just heard?

However, Cynthia just wasn't in the mood for replying now. Hoping to change the topic, Cynthia turned to Steven to say something, but she couldn't say anything at first. He was so… handsome. Steven could notice this, and was a little worried for her.

"Something you need, Cynthia?" he asked.

Cynthia swallowed. "Er… If you're not having that slice of LaBrie…"

Steven blinked, and looked down at his plate to see that he had an untouched slice of LaBrie there. Apparently, Garchomp had eaten almost half of the cheese on the board in the time the Champions were conversing. Steven took a good look at Cynthia once more, noting her eyeshadow, before passing his plate to her.

Diantha and Gardevoir looked at each other, and then to Garchomp. The three of them kept smiles to themselves.

"But what about you two? You never answered my question," Diantha asked, still smiling. "Have you ever thought of dating each other? You're the ideal couple, _oui_?"

"I'll admit Cynthia is looking gorgeous tonight," Steven admitted straight, but quickly followed, "but it never occurred to me."

"Same," Cynthia added. "You don't want to know what's going on between us. We have too many things going on in our lives."

Thinking back to the popular Kalos magazine, Diantha understood well enough.

"Ooh… So you do think she's gorgeous! I'll be off to wash my hands," she said, getting up. "Would you excuse me?"

Steven directed Diantha to where the washrooms were, and after the latter had left, Cynthia took the opportunity to talk.

"Are you sure you didn't stop by my coffee shop?" she whispered, hoping to get something out of Steven. "I had witnesses, you know. The Striaton brothers were there, you know."

He was silent at first, as he contemplated what would be the best response. Well, now that Diantha wasn't here, would it be appropriate to tell _her _– Cynthia – that he did? Would there be anything harsh that could come out of it?

Reminding himself again that Cynthia was his guest, he supposed it was safe. The shine on her earrings caught his eye before he could speak.

"Yes, I – I wanted to take a break," Steven admitted, somewhat flatly, but still nervous. He didn't know how to put it in front of this woman. "If you didn't know, my staff locked my up in the wine cellar for no reason for at least a whole night. Then, oh gosh, I had a break-in in the wine cellar! I'm certain I just had a robbery from under my nose! At least four bottles of wine! Gone!"

Cynthia raised her eyebrows.

"Sorry to hear that," she muttered.

"Anyway," Steven continued, "I figured I needed a break from work, not to mention my _sous_ forcing me into it. I heard from those in the know that one of your coffees works well with a Slateport cake. So… I went there to see if it was true."

* * *

"Are. You. Seeing. This?" Viola giggled.

She was very excited, with her camera shooting at Steven and Cynthia constantly.

"I don't know," Alexa whispered. "I'll have to take a look at the pictures later. What are you seeing, sis?"

"The most amazing sight I have ever seen for a celebrity… What's better than following a celebrity? Seeing two more ex-celebrities who were celebrities in a certain magazine…"

Alexa's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious. Them?"

"I am," Viola smiled. "Maybe I ought to add some kick to this…"

* * *

**I'm already trying to develop the next serving of chapters as you read! Four more, to be exact, but it's only a matter of _when_ I can write it.**

**So! Have a serving of these delicious cheeses when you review! LaBrie, Bleu de Sud-Est, and De Cyllage. They've all got bite in it!**


	21. Of Paparazzi and Allergies

**I'm very pleased that I can upload this new chapter in less than a month! However, I must admit that in light of my coming birthday (next week), I just had to do something! Unfortunately, thanks to the pressure of university work, I'm sort of entering a small state of depression. Gosh, I can't let that interfere with my work right now...**

**So, here's a serving of delicious cheeses (LaBrie, Bleu de Sud-Est, and De Cyllage)for Anime Review's, Ryuu-kun, LEGAL-EAGLE53 (who gets no Bleu de Sud-Est), and That Anonymous guest! Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-one: Of Paparazzi and Allergies**_

At some point downstairs, whatever confusion everyone felt at first now was replaced with clearer minds. James d'Arc still kept the people at bay, and could only hope that the situation would not escalate. Laurent stood alongside. From how things were, the paparazzi were eager to break into the third floor, but at least they seemed calm enough to _not_ do that.

Sophie eventually reappeared behind Laurent, with a glass of water for him. Most notably was that the water had a slice of Watmel berry in it. He accepted the drink gratefully, as he knew that Sophie liked her water that way. To Laurent, it didn't matter that much, but he would go for a slice of lemon right now if he had to choose.

"So… Let me guess, you had a good look at Mr. Stone, eh?" he said.

"Well, you don't get to see a man like him dressed like _that _every day," Sophie said in her defence. "Besides, you would have done the same for Cynthia, right?"

Laurent held his breath.

"I suppose so," he finally said.

As much as they were happy talking like this, the atmosphere in the lobby was tense. Although the paparazzi were put in line for now, they were still jumpy. Sometimes, Laurent wondered if the commotion was enough to cause the chandelier on the ceiling, three stories high, to come down in a fiery crash.

"Are you kidding me, Laurent?" Sophie said, annoyed. "Where – How would you have fire?"

"You never know," Laurent replied. "Anything could happen."

As Sophie playfully pushed Laurent's head with her fingers, their interaction provoked the interest of some of the paparazzi. For no reason whatsoever, some of them had their cameras fixed on the receptionists, where they snuck several shots. James was no less annoyed with the flashing cameras.

It became much worse when the number of camera flashes increased, and it became very, very, distracting.

* * *

Martine Grenadine couldn't help herself but visit the third floor once more to see her boss. But on the way there, she noticed another table that seemed… unserved. When she walked closer, it was to her delight that it was Lisia, Wallace, and Winona who were seated there.

She could tell something was off upon looking at the table. Wallace had collapsed on his chair as if he had a heart attack. Winona had her elbows on the table and was evidently sighing in the direction of Steven. Lisia was gently patting her uncle's hand until noticing Martine had come up to the table.

"There anything I can help you with?" Martine offered.

"_Salut_, Martine!" Lisia greeted. "Oh, it's nothing much. My uncle's just in a state of shock and Winona has temporarily lost her mind. Look at her! She's been staring at Steven for like… twelve hours!"

Martine used Lisia's description as an excuse to sneak a glance at her boss, who looked silent as he stared down at a slice of cheese on his plate. However, what really caught her attention was –

"Are you seeing this, Lisia?" she said suddenly. Lisia quickly looked in the same direction. It only took a mere second for Lisia to register what was going on. As if Steven dining with Cynthia wasn't enough, the two of them were sharing a cheese plate.

Lisia giggled. "They're _sharing_ a plate? Oh. My. Gosh. Diantha's not there, and it doesn't look like that cheese is for her. It looks really…"

"_Romantic?_" Martine finished the sentence.

"Yeah."

From where they were observing, it looked as if Steven was serving Cynthia a slice of cheese – specifically LaBrie. He took the untouched piece from his plate and, to Martine and Lisia's delight, placed it onto _her_ plate. Cynthia, while looking as if flattered, gratefully nibbled on the slice, whereas Steven looked…

He looked satisfied.

"I knew it," Martine could say this with a wide grin. "I knew it all along. Grrrr! I wish I was in Cynthia's place."

It looked like Steven had completely forgotten that Martine, Lisia, and Winona were watching the scene unfold (Wallace was still in shock). On the other hand, Steven looked happy that Cynthia was enjoying herself.

"Oh… and look at them now," Lisia muttered.

Martine's mind was in sync with Lisia's, as she saw Diantha return to the table. Immediately, Steven's face became neutral and he straightened himself. Quite amusingly, Cynthia did not notice Steven's expression in the first place, and it was even more amusing when her expression became _equally _neutral as Steven's when Diantha returned to the table.

"And we wonder why he won't ask her out," Lisia added. "Uncle, how old is Steven?"

Without looking at her, Wallace answered, "Old enough."

A non-answer.

The conversation at Diantha's table was moderate. The Kalos Champion herself was enjoying a spectacular dinner for certain, but she enjoyed the company of two former Champions who had status not unlike her own. Moreover, she was interested in how the two would interact – albeit she did find Steven extremely handsome – she was only halfway through eating her Watmel berry salad. Her Gardevoir too.

"Um… yeah, I'll see to serving you your entrée, Diantha," he said.

The two women at the table had their eyes fixed on the handsome host for a while. At least until Diantha realised Cynthia was staring at Steven alongside her, when the latter was well away from the table.

"Hold on a minute, Cynthia," she said, which snapped Cynthia out of her trance. "If you're looking at him, then you must be attracted to him. Yeah?"

Unable to keep her cool, Cynthia let the slightest blush show on her face.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?!" Diantha exclaimed. "You must have caught _his_ eyes too! Just look at how well he's dressed! And you! Say, didn't I interrupt something between you and him when I got here? What were you two lovebirds talking about?"

"Nothing!" Cynthia protested hotly. "And furthermore, we are _not_ lovebirds! On the other hand, we were just talking about food. That's all!"

Diantha rolled her eyes.

"He thinks you're gorgeous, and you stare at him like he's the only man for you," she said. "What are you waiting for?"

Refusing to answer, Cynthia reached for her bag to pull out something like a miniature paper bag, and placed it aside. After that, she helped herself to some more cheese. A piece of the Bleu de Sud-Est was extremely good, but its flavour was also very, very, potent. She had to eat small portions of it, just like Garchomp did earlier.

In her honest opinion, though, the LaBrie tasted much better.

* * *

While that was going on, Steven was well on his way to the private elevator leading to the kitchens. With an empty plate in hand, he could breathe a sigh of relief knowing he was away from Diantha and _her_. In the short distance ahead, he seemed pleased and partly amused that Wallace had collapsed on his chair for reasons unknown, with Lisia and Winona staring at him (he sort of enjoyed that attention now).

And Martine.

Before he could even think of reacting to seeing his 19-year old waitress there, he was rudely interrupted by the sound of a _click_, followed by a suspicious shimmer of light from under one of the nearby tables.

Confused, whereas Martine was confused all the same and watching, Steven set down the empty plate on top of the nearest table and approached the suspicious one. He could anticipate already what was going on, but nevertheless…

He looked down to see his white leather shoes near the edge of the tablecloth. Upon hearing just the slightest amount of chatter, Steven didn't know if he should be feeling surprised or not. Kneeling down, he held his breath as he peeked underneath the table.

His reaction was mixed. Two girls, a photographer and a journalist from the looks of it, were hiding right below. However, to his non-surprise, the two girls were flattered by his looks. His impossibly handsome looks.

"Ooh…" Alexa sighed at him.

"May I ask what you two are doing here?" Steven politely asked. "You are not invited here."

Viola held up her camera instantly and a bright flash of light blinded Steven, causing him to flinch. Subsequently, Steven had to pull them out from under the table, seeing as they weren't willing to move or reply.

_Women_, Steven thought. _Not to mention these two are still girls, from the looks of it._

"I can't believe I did it. Write this down, sis."

It wasn't before long Steven had to drag the two girls out. However, their hands seemed to melt upon touching him. For his part, Steven signalled for Martine to come over; and for the first time in a while, he was quite happy his 19-year old waitress was in his presence. With a glaring eye, he ensured they stood still.

"Could you do me a favour and escort these two away? I'm going to return to dinner," he ordered. "Oh, and their equipment has to stay in my office."

"Aw… but Mr. Stone!" Viola whined. "This camera's a gift from _ma soeur_! _Madamoiselle Diantha! Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait!_"

"_Mais malheuresment, je ne te peux pas aider_," Diantha replied amusingly. "But you can keep your camera though."

Helpless, Viola and Alexa followed Martine in the direction of the stairs, where it led to the lobby. After they had disappeared from sight, Cynthia turned to Diantha. "You know those two?"

"Yup," Diantha said. "The blond is a Gym Leader here in Kalos, and that was her sister with her. You know, I can never get enough publicity from those two. It's very much a recipe for disaster! And, come to that, what have you got in that bag?"

Suddenly looking at the paper bag, which was wide open, Cynthia closed it. "It's nothing," she replied. "Just some private stuff which I'm not willing to tell you about!"

"Like… photos of Steven?" Diantha said, hoping to make Cynthia crack. In return, this caused Cynthia to blush a little more. "Oh… So it's true, eh?"

The latter closed the paper bag and was about put it back into her regular bag (a handbag, perhaps. Diantha couldn't see it, but she was certain it was a handbag). It was somewhat amusing to watch Viola and Alexa being helplessly pushed away by the redhead waitress, but she was fine with that. Such was the life of the paparazzi. At the last minute, Cynthia pulled out a perfume spray bottle and handed it to Diantha.

"I just bought a new perfume at the boutique," Cynthia explained, spraying some of it on her hand to smell it. "If you are interested, you can try it out if you like."

"Don't mind if I do," Diantha replied, spraying a bit on her hand just so she could smell it first. "Ah, the classic smell of the Kalos coast. Can you smell it too?"

Cynthia didn't even realise that in the heat of the moment, Garchomp had snuck several cheeses away from her. Nevertheless, afterwards, Cynthia continued to nibble on the slice of LaBrie that Steven had cut out for her, whereas Diantha had almost finished her salad. Gardevoir had finished, so Steven took the liberty of taking that plate as an act of convenience. It was a surprise, really, because Diantha could have sworn Steven had left to serve the entrée.

"When I come back, I'll make sure your entrée is served fresh," he said. "Besides, I'd love to keep it as a surprise, but Cynthia (he glanced at her for a moment) can tell you all about it if she wishes. But hey, I can't leave an empty plate here."

For a moment, the two former Champions smiled in front of the current Kalos Champion. Diantha could really _sense_ something going between them. Perhaps it was too good to be true. Somehow, Diantha could sense Cynthia was tempted to flirt at Steven with all her beauty, and that was enough for Diantha to sneak a laugh.

"Right. Well, I better get to putting away that plate. Promise," Steven said, as he was reminded of the plate he had intended to take away until he ran into the two girls: Viola and Alexa.

Speaking of which, Viola and Alexa, escorted by Martine, had approached the doors leading to the stairs at this point.

It was then, even from this distance, Steven could hear a rumbling sound coming from the door. Like the sound of an earthquake.

Not to mention the sound of coughing – Wait, that was Diantha's voice!

Immediately, Steven turned around to rush over to the table. He saw Cynthia looking as if she didn't know what to do, but that wasn't important. It looked bad enough that Diantha was looking horrible.

"Diantha! Are you okay?!" Steven pleaded.

"_I – I'm fine_," Diantha rasped, as she clutched her throat. Sweat was forming on her head. She continued to cough.

"I think she should see a doctor." Cynthia's cool voice was all she could do to keep the atmosphere calm, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

"I – MARTINE!" Steven yelled.

Across the floor, Martine – and Viola and Alexa – turned her head to see her boss once again.

This time Steven looked desperate. Now that Martine had a clear look at Diantha, she hurried over to the table. However, Steven held up a hand to stop her.

"I need you to fetch Diantha some water. _Vite_!" Steven ordered.

Wherever the nearest station was, Martine dashed to it to pour a glass of water. From what she saw, Diantha had finished her water and so her glass was empty. Quickly as Martine could, Martine got a glass of water in her hand.

But Steven, who watched Diantha _suffer_, caught wind that Diantha's coughs were not stopping.

Eventually, Diantha coughed until she collapsed. Her arms and her head hit the table with a _thud_.

She lay still.

"No! Diantha! Wake up!" Steven cried.

He was rudely interrupted by the flashing of a familiar camera. Steven looked up to see Viola excitedly take pictures of the scene, with Alexa taking as many notes as possible. Torn between wanting to stop them to protect his image – and his reputation, or help Diantha. Well, if Diantha's life was at stake here, then the option was obvious.

"Okay, I agree with you, Cynthia. We better get her to a doctor," Steven said.

Cynthia slowly nodded her head, but looked the other way.

Cautiously, Steven checked to see if Diantha was breathing (thankfully, she was). With that settled, he started to clean up the table.

Something, a light, caught the corner of his while he was cleaning. When Steven looked up, he could make out a… drone. A hovering drone with a camera seeing everything that was going on inside the building. No, wait, there were many drones! How could he not have noticed this earlier?

"What is this…?" Steven muttered. "No!"

It was then it happened.

The rumbling earthquake-like sound erupted from behind the doors across, where Viola and Alexa were standing. Before Steven could register what was going on, the sound of doors bursting open meant something serious was going on.

As in, the paparazzi. They were here, no doubt, to see Diantha. Ten – no – twenty people entered the room!

If it wasn't for the quick thinking of Martine Grenadine, both Viola and Alexa would have been stampeded over by the crowd of journalists and photographers. But even so, that wasn't enough, because Viola and Alexa ended up joining the crowd who were rushing to Diantha. The twenty people didn't even bother noticing Wallace and Winona, who were sitting under their noses.

"I'm offended," Wallace and Lisia said together.

"What, because they're not noticing you?" Winona said sarcastically, now that the intrusion of the paparazzi had snapped her back to reality. "I'd be more worried about Steven!"

"And not me?" Wallace clutched his chest. "Winona. You break my heart."

"Says the one who kissed me not too long ago," Winona shot back. "You break _my_ heart."

That exchange could have continued, but they were distracted by the twenty people who had gathered around Steven, Cynthia, and an unconscious Diantha. There was plenty of silence at first, with the people seemingly stunned by Steven's charm and Cynthia's beauty. That much was apparent. Even Diantha's Gardevoir looked at the people watching, and could only imagine how awkward Steven must be feeling. Garchomp… still had more cheese.

It didn't take long for the crowd to register Diantha's position, whose head and arms were flat on the table.

While Cynthia thought this looked awkward, she sneaked a smile. Steven was beside himself.

"This isn't what it looks like!" he cried.

* * *

**I seriously wonder who will give the 100th order...**

**There's still plenty of cheese to go around. Otherwise, review for a cup of coffee or tea (from either the Stone Bistro or... Cynthia's cafe?).**


	22. Never Trust the Media

**I don't think anyone could understand just how packed my life is. I'm grateful for omar7812 for sympathising with me. Being a second year student is tough! Plus, I'm trying to write... THREE fanfics at once, on top of that! That is impossible. Really!**

**Ahem...**

**Thanks for the birthday wishes!**

**I'm glad I could upload this chapter in... just under a month. So to SelfiesWithSprinkles, who makes the 99th order, have a cup of coffee from Cynthia's cafe! dawnleaf1234, being the 100th order (and the loyal customer since the beginning!), have a cup of coffee from Cynthia's cafe too! LEGAL-EAGLE53, you will have a cold coffee from Cynthia's cafe to your preference! omar7812, enjoy a cup a tea!**

**3 coffees to 1 tea.**

**...**

**One would think Cynthia is profiting too much from this business. She seems to be too popular.**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-two: Never Trust the Media**_

The only response Steven would get was not a bunch of questions, but a number of flashing cameras.

"This is NOT what it looks like!" Steven repeated whilst raised his hands up in resignation. His heart was torn between wanting to help Diantha, and wanting to preserve his image. But he knew deep down that it was _impossible_ to keep these people from taking pictures.

Martine Grenadine's first impulse was to help her boss, but there was no chance of that happening. The twenty people had formed a barrier around the table and weren't willing to let anyone in or out. Still, she put the glass of water aside and tried to force her way through, but to no avail.

"Mr. Stone! Can you explain what's going on here?!" a reporter shouted.

"I can explain –" Steven started.

"Steven! Why is Diantha on the table, knocked out as she is?"

"Is this because of this lovely beauty you call Cynthia that you chose to knock her out?"

Steven glared at _that_ comment.

"I have no comment now!" he shouted. "Please! Leave this floor, NOW!"

"Oh! Oh! Steven! Did you do this have a moment with Cynthia alone?"

"Or maybe you're trying to show the _world_ that people like Diantha aren't welcome here?"

"Or maybe she's just not your type?!"

Now Steven's face flushed for a split second, but whatever feeling he had was quickly replaced by anger. He let go of Diantha to approach the reporters, in an effort to push them away, but many of them took advantage of his absence to get closer to the table to photograph Diantha. Diantha, completely unconscious, was victim to the paparazzi.

In Cynthia's eyes, it was hard to tell if she should feel sorry for Diantha more, or Steven. If she could reserve some sympathies for Steven, she would, but she sort of enjoyed the scene. Casually, she lifted her glass to sip some wine.

"How dare you!" another reporter shouted. "You've poisoned Diantha!"

Rather than deny it, Steven said, "No comment! No comment!" As he tried his best to push the people away, it was apparent that he – one man – could not fight back against a crowd of twenty. He fruitlessly tried to block all the camera lenses, but it was pointless. There were too many of them. While the onslaught of flashing continued, Cynthia didn't seem to mind what was going on, but she did grin at some of their comments.

"Steven!" Alexa shouted. "Give us an explanation! Was this a plot to reinforce your relationship?"

"That's not true!" he shot back, and forgetting he did not want to comment on that issue.

"You just said you didn't want to comment on that! Tell us why Diantha – oh, she's a rival isn't she? Does she have your eye now?"

Helpless, Steven looked to his best friend Wallace for support. _Help me_, he pleaded, hoping his best friend would do so. Instead, Wallace gave Steven a thumbs-up, to Steven's horror. Lisia looked as if she wanted to feel sorry for him.

Out of the blue, somehow past the barrier of people with cameras, Martine showed up beside him. To Steven's mild surprise, Martine was helping him keep the paparazzi at bay, and together they gradually pushed half of the paparazzi away. His youngest employee, who seemed so keen on seeing the relationship between him and Cynthia come to fruition, was actually helping him with something serious for once.

Yet the other half stampeded over to take more and more pictures of the table, and such that they eventually overran Steven and Martine. Martine desperately tried to stay her ground, but was pushed aside. Steven… had the same treatment. It didn't help that Viola was taking pictures of him especially.

With a resigned face, he faced the mob.

"Okay. So in short, I was having dinner with Diantha since she's my guest," he said, whilst enduring the camera flashes. "For a moment she coughed, and now she's knocked out. Now can you please leave us ALONE?"

"So you _did_ poison her!" someone declared, as if it was true.

"Please!" Steven begged. "Leave us in peace! Otherwise, we'll never be able to help her! And what you saw isn't what it looked like!"

"Sure it was!"

He kept an eye on the drone that was still hovering outside the window, and in his bones he would shoot it down if he could. Steven felt Viola pass something into his hands in the midst of the chaos, and try as Steven might, he dared to look down.

A phone number. With. A. Heart.

Why would Viola give him a phone number at this time? She must be trying to flirt with him, just like the many other women who did that throughout the night. In Steven's mind, he accepted that the only one exception was Cynthia herself, but that was a different matter. Absentmindedly, he slipped the paper into his pocket and tried to repel the constant camera flashes.

"MOVE! MOVE!" he yelled. Martine tried her best to create some space, so she managed to push away those who were crowding Diantha. But on the whole, she knew it was a fruitless effort when she was outnumbered by a ten-to-one margin.

Cynthia looked over at Diantha first, who still had plenty of the attention of the camera lenses, wearing a facial expression as if unconcerned by the mass number of cameras that were fixed on her beauty. Eventually, she did check to see if Diantha was okay by feeling her wrist and checking for a pulse. Of course there was one, but perhaps Diantha was feeling unwell because of _him_.

"Looking good tonight, Cynthia!" someone shouted. "Pose for us, _oui_?"

She chose to ignore that photographer, but all the same, Cynthia coolly flashed her dignified smile.

"Cynthia! Do you think you could pursue a relationship with Steven in light of this?" another asked. "You and him are looking sharp, so is it possible? Smile for us, _s'il vous plait_? What do you make of it?"

"I think we'll keep it cool for now." Cynthia's voice was as cool as her smile. When she turned to look at Steven, who was still struggling to keep the people away, their eyes met. As handsome as Steven was, and as beautiful as she was, Steven looked deeply into her eyes.

_Help me_. That was what Steven's eyes were begging.

But to his horror, a horror that went beyond his earlier horror to Wallace, Cynthia encouraged the people to keep taking more pictures. She… was also speaking!

"I suspect this may have something to do with the food," she told Alexa.

"Could it have been something Diantha ate?" Alexa asked. "Maybe _you_ had something to do with this so you could have some quality time with Steven, right? Let's face it, he's the man of your dreams."

At that, Cynthia's voice became as hot as her face, in sharp contrast to her initial response. "That's only what the media wants! We – I don't follow!"

"_We_?" Alexa added questionably, as if she was entertained. "I'll just need a picture – Viola! Stop taking pictures of Steven! We need that camera!"

She said this especially because Viola was taking pictures of Steven non-stop. It helped that Steven was severely restrained by the very people he was trying to repel. Eventually, when the photographers closest to Diantha had their fill of photos, they turned their attention to Steven.

Steven realised that, without a doubt, the battle was lost. He knew he had to get reinforcements to get this situation under control. Oh, where was Metagross when he needed it most? Standing beside him, Martine listened closely to her boss.

"Come on, let's get Diantha to the lobby!" Steven ordered. "Make it fast!"

In fact, if he had any Pokémon with him at the moment, he would be extremely happy to use it. But as a retired Pokémon Champion who left his Pokémon at his villa, he was cut off from support, and Metagross was serving the guests below. Martine obeyed Steven without question and the two of them hustled to Diantha, whose head and arms were still flat on the table.

Steven, without needing to think, pulled Diantha up and carried her on his back. Martine hurried to clear a path for Steven to walk through. At the _very least_ Gardevoir left the table to join Steven, seeing there was no reason to stay, and could support Steven in some way.

* * *

It was equally amusing for Cynthia to see that the twenty people that had come here paid no attention to her when Steven carried Diantha away from the table. The only exceptions were Viola and Alexa, who were standing still. Viola looked at her camera as if something was wrong with it, whereas Alexa appeared to be quite annoyed.

When the atmosphere had quietened just a little, and the crowd was at the other side of the floor, Cynthia waved to the sisters.

"Hey. Something wrong with your camera, Viola?" Cynthia called out.

"Uh… yeah. I've run out of memory," Viola replied.

"Well, _yeah_, if you hadn't spent all that precious time taking glorified pictures of Steven, we could've had a big scoop for Diantha here!" Alexa complained. "Well, since Cynthia's here, we might as well ask her a few more questions."

Viola pouted, but Alexa ignored her and readjusted her recorder, which had the appearance of a hybrid between a regular set of headphones and a camera, with a lens on one ear and a throat mic on the other. Truly, that was what Cynthia could remark as recording equipment.

"Right, so we're recording live on behalf of Lumiose Press," Alexa stated in front of Cynthia, to ensure Cynthia knew what she was wading into. "So, Cynthia, in light of what has happened, we all witnessed the great Diantha unconscious here… at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. You were the only one here when it happened, so what's your take on it?"

Before Cynthia could say anything, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, you can't forget me! I need some limelight here!"

Instantly, Alexa turned to see Wallace join the table. Nevertheless, despite the interruption, Cynthia's mind was thinking pretty smoothly. She had her thoughts on only one person, and that person was Steven Stone.

"Ahem," Cynthia said. "Well, I was only having dinner with the host of course. Diantha showed up much later. After Diantha was served her salad, she began to experience some… problems, I guess? The next thing you know, she's knocked out. I'm guessing it was the food that –"

"In addition," Wallace interjected, "this is without a doubt a way of how Steven does things. Come on, you've got to believe me. I'm his best friend! He knocked out Diantha so he could have some more alone time with Cynthia. It was the perfect set up, you know? The good-looking host with a good-looking guest – he just couldn't spoil it!"

Cynthia glared at him.

"I concur!" Lisia's voice added. "This is going to be the second chapter of his love story!"

Cynthia did not realise Lisia had been standing beside the table for an entire minute. Her face remained quite neutral, apart from the glare she reserved for Wallace, when Lisia struck a pose in front of them. Cynthia didn't realise the weight of what Lisia was saying, as if it didn't make sense.

"I don't get it," Cynthia replied. "What love story?"

Lisia and Wallace both turned their heads to stare at her. Their eyes round and their faces looking serious.

"Tell me, Cynthia. Do you have any idea what sort of relationship is going between you and Steven? Is there any chance that the two of you could…?" Wallace demanded.

This was the sort of question that still made Cynthia uncomfortable no less. However, Cynthia always had that one reputation for being cool and collected. Her glare still tried to pierce Wallace in an effort to shake him off.

"Not at the moment," she said shortly. "By the way, how are things going on between you and Winona? I'm sure your relationship is going smooth, right?"

"Nuh-uh, don't change the subject just yet," Wallace countered. "She's doing fine right now. What we're all concerned with is how you're going to get along with Steven! Every woman – including Winona – wants him now! I don't see how you're missing this!"

That comment was enough to make all the women around him shift around in discomfort. Viola shuddered, Alexa swallowed, and Lisia blinked. But Cynthia wasn't moved. Instead of answering, Cynthia snuck a glance and where Winona was, and she saw her – the Fortree Gym Leader – head on the table. It looked like she was crying.

"You know, I think you're the one who's 'missing this'," Cynthia countered back. "Just how could you leave Winona alone right now?! She needs someone."

It seemed that was enough to draw Viola and Alexa's attention away from Cynthia and towards the aforementioned. Though partly embarrassed, Wallace didn't show it. Unfortunately for Wallace, that tactic turned against him.

"So, the Champion of Hoenn doesn't have a heart," Alexa concluded.

"That's not true!" Wallace denied.

"Or so he thinks," Viola added. "You know, Wallace, if my camera hadn't run out of memory –"

"It's fine," Alexa cut in. "I have plenty of video. So Wallace, how many hearts have you broken besides hers? You know what I mean?"

"Aren't you from Lumiose Press? How could you be asking these –" Wallace paused. "No! That was a long time ago!"

"Sure," Alexa said, and nodded as if she didn't care either way. "It's okay if you don't care for her, Wallace. We understand."

"You do NOT!" Wallace had enough. He stood up and ran over to Winona, who was still crying.

From where they were sitting, Cynthia, Viola, and Alexa awkwardly watched Wallace try to comfort Winona. To Alexa, this was a bonus. She had managed to ask enough to make Wallace crack to the point where he just _had_ to bring it to Winona. Smiling to herself, she stopped the recording.

"You know, I think we've got enough for today," Alexa said.

"And I think I've outstayed my welcome too. My work here is done," Cynthia added. She picked up her glass once more to finish what little wine there was in it. "I guess I'll head home now."

Cynthia stood up, taking her handbag with her, and motioned for Garchomp to follow her. Given the commotion outside, she guessed it was the safest time to quietly slip away.

* * *

Elsewhere, Steven and Martine where battling against the constant pushing and shoving of the wave of paparazzi reporters. The same twenty people of the paparazzi crowded around Steven and Martine and followed them wherever they went. Steven still had Diantha on his back.

To Steven's displeasure, he realised that this commotion had drawn the attention of nearby customers on the floor below (where they passed). If it weren't for the constant buzz of the paparazzi and the open doors of the second floor, this could have gone along a lot more quietly. Martine continued to clear the space in front, whereas Steven carried Diantha to the lobby where he intended to get some assistance.

"Nothing to see here," Steven assured the people who got up from their tables to look. "Everything will be fine. Return to your meals."

Some raised their eyebrows at him, as he had the Kalos champion on his back.

However, the commotion had drawn the attention of the other forty photographers, reporters, and journalists who were standing in the lobby below.

As a result, Steven could see the horde react to him by taking pictures and – to his horror – running up close to him to question what was going on. Although he wanted to answer, the vast number of people spilled a dreadful thought in his head.

Panic.

"Laurent! Help me!" he yelled, trying to fight against the sea of voices demanding answers from him.

It was too late. He was surrounded. Martine slowly tried to clear ground again, but the additional forty people – who had reinforced the initial twenty – had prevented her from moving any further. Steven's face started to sweat. He felt embarrassed enough already that he had to carry Diantha on his back, not to mention the paparazzi – sixty of them – were making a big deal about it.

As soon as Laurent could comprehend the situation, which was surprisingly slow, he immediately left his desk to support his boss. James, however, picked up the phone. Given what he was seeing, there was no doubt he needed the _gendarme_ here.

"Hawlucha! _Vite_!" Laurent said to his Pokémon.

But by the time Laurent and Hawlucha could get even close to Steven, Steven was barricaded and entombed by the people thus preventing his movement. If anything, they people were in position to push Diantha downward and crush Steven. Martine, who had been trying hard to make some space, had been trapped by the wave of people also, and soon she too became helpless.

Because Laurent and Hawlucha were limited to minimise harm to the customers, there wasn't too much they could do except remove a photographer or two one by one. In spite of this effort, this did little to hamper the crowd.

On the other hand, James had Sophie handle the call with the _gendarme_ while he too went in to clear the area. As soon as James got close enough to Steven, he could understand that Diantha – the Kalos Champion – was in pretty bad shape. Like Martine and Laurent, there wasn't much he could do as the paparazzi were simply too power to break through.

"What are you plans with Diantha now?" asked someone.

"I have no comment!" Steven shot back. "She just needs rest!"

"So that was a comment!" the same someone added happily.

The only knee-jerk reaction Steven could do was to shoot a glare, but only to be repaid by a blinding camera flash. After the flash, Steven was blinded! He could not see, and when he opened his eyes his vision was partly blinded, and he kept trying to press forward.

He couldn't. The paparazzi were forcing him back!

"Go away!" he demanded.

He tried holding his ground, but eventually he realised that was a mistake. The paparazzi had him in stasis and Steven realised he would be stuck here for a while. He turned his head to see Martine isolated from him, helpless. Laurent and James… Steven could see them try to make a way between them.

"This way, Mr. Stone!" Laurent shouted over the noise.

Steven nodded and tried to walk through the gap Laurent, James, and Hawlucha had created for him. But Steven felt many hands try to rip Diantha off his back. He turned his head around, and saw the many curious people pull at Diantha – and in effect, preventing Steven from moving forward.

"No! Let her go!" Steven shouted.

"Steven, this opening won't last!" James shouted over the noise also. He was too distracted keeping the paparazzi at bay to notice Steven's immobility. "Why haven't you moved yet?!"

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Steven yelled.

Eventually, it got to the worst, as James had fearfully anticipated from much earlier. The paparazzi, in the midst of the tension and chaos, had evolved into behaviour that was equivalent to a riot, and that was what had happened.

Steven felt the paparazzi rip Diantha off of his back and, when he turned around he saw some of the people pull Diantha onto the floor. They took advantage of the gap and took whatever pictures they could. Whoever else that wouldn't look at Diantha decided to hammer Steven with extra questions. Too many of them, perhaps.

"No! Leave her alone!" he shouted.

"Oh, so you do care about her, eh Steven?"

"Wait, could there be something going on between you and her?"

"What about Cynthia?! Isn't she supposed to be the special one?"

"I mean, you _did_ just have dinner with her, right?"

"It was just you and Cynthia, dining alone!"

Steven froze. How was it possible they could know that?

"Oh, so it is true, right?"

"Right?"

With the crowd of sixty people on the little space of the second floor, with Steven surrounded, Diantha knocked out and mercilessly being taken advantage of by the paparazzi, and Laurent and James isolated just like Martine, it seemed all was lost.

Eventually, Steven noticed the many customers dining on the second floor gather outside of the dining area to see the huge commotion. If anything could describe it, it was very embarrassing for Steven. That was absolute.

_Oh no…_ he thought. He could _not_ allow his customers to see him like this! This would be terrible for his business, and not to mention everyone else who worked here.

There, amongst the customers, he saw Metagross watch the scene too. That was exactly what Steven needed.

In a desperate voice, Steven cried, "Metagross!"

Immediately, Metagross put down whatever plates it had in its grasp and hovered above the crowd to where Steven was. By then, the gathering of the paparazzi had turned into a riot. There was pushing and shoving, and the occasional fighting over top pics of Diantha and endless questions for Steven, but to Steven this was unacceptable.

_I can't believe it's come to this_, Steven thought, and then yelled, "Psychic! Just do it!"

And soon enough, everything on the floor, from every paparazzo's toes to, to Diantha's body, not to mention the employees present, was fully under the control of Metagross' grasp. Everything that was in grasp floated in the air. Time had frozen, or at least that was what it felt like.

"Everyone out!" Steven barked.

* * *

**Unfortunately, due to the bustling chaos, it is not possible to serve food right now. Review, and you can take home one of Steven's wines...**

**I would like to inform that I will be temporarily discontinuing Culinary Rivals for April, as April marks my term's exams period. The delicious meals will resume in May.**

**But don't worry. You have yet to receive your bills...**


	23. Need for Sanctuary

**Is it because that I discontinued food that the number of orders last time also decreased?! No matter, I'm done with my spring term, so I'm free to write until September! I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated!**

**So, LEGAL-EAGLE53, take home one of Steven's wines.**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-three: Need for Sanctuary**_

Steven Stone anticipated the worst when his face made the front page of Lumiose Press.

First having an inventory of wine that didn't match up with the financial statements, now his company was victim to some sort of scandal now. Could it get that much worse? As a result, Steven had seen his business plummet over the week. He only saw a considerable drop in customers eating at the Stone Bistro, and earned only half the revenue that could deem his restaurant sustainable by the end of the week. The restaurant was getting a bad reputation.

It did _not_ help that Lumiose Press had reported the incident either.

On the other hand, the bakery and the museum was holding out fairly strong. With the help of James, Steven had begun planning how to make his restaurant favourable again. The idea of expanding the restaurant to include a terrace was a choice, and from the looks of it, it was a good one.

And his Stone Open… His one _best shot_ at clinging to some redemption. Boom. It had gone up in smoke. Unless he had a food critic to somehow miraculously drop by, he was backed against the wall. For the time being, it seemed that no food critic would dare to approach him ever again.

That morning. It happened _that_ morning.

He slept restlessly that night. By the time he tried to leave his villa the following day, Steven realised that that was not possible. He found that a crowd of reporters had gathered at his villa. They not only surrounded the front door (which Steven didn't _dare_ open), but had crowded around the windows and even tried to find a gap on the roof.

Depressed, Steven picked up his phone. He had to make a call now.

"_Stone Restaurant and Bistro_." He heard Laurent's voice come from the other end.

"Laurent," Steven said.

"_Oh! Mr. Stone!_" Now Laurent's voice became anxious. "_Is there anything I can help you with?_"

"I need to talk to James," he replied.

"_Monsieur d'Arc has advised you not to do that_," Laurent replied. "_We're being swarmed with reporters and journalists right now. If you come, it'll be your funeral._"

Steven merely hung up the phone and buried his face in his hands. For him, nowhere in all of Kalos was safe. Perhaps if he took a breather… If only he could! However, with the number of journalists trying to peek into his villa, it was impossible.

He needed to find a way to re-establish his reputation. Period. Where better to start than having a good review from a critic? Unfortunately, he questioned if his reputation for customer service had been badly damaged by the media, come to that.

The _media_.

If only there was some way to vent his anger at the media outside, but he figured that would do a lot more harm than good. As a result, Steven paced back and forth wondering what to do. His Pokémon looked equally worried for him, but in the end Steven chose to fix himself a cup of tea. He mixed it with milk and sugar just the way he liked it, and brought it to his lips after.

_Oh what to do_, Steven thought.

That wasn't the end of it. He had made absolutely clear to Wallace that he had nothing personal between himself and Cynthia. And how did Wallace repay him? By instituting that relationship to Lumiose Press. That did nothing to help Steven at all, and now everyone was certain the relationship was reality. It was like Apples and Oranges version 1.2. The next generation of media cover.

Wallace.

It was always Wallace.

Well, he had to admit that the newspaper company did cover a bit of Wallace's relationship with Winona, but compared to his own coverage with Cynthia it was nothing. The media had blown it completely out of proportion.

Walking around, and contemplating that outside was pretty much unsafe for the time being, Steven looked around his villa for something to do. In the absence of working at his restaurant, he was quite bored. He approached his desk, placed his cup on the space, and looked into the drawers.

It was then, upon opening one of the drawers, he saw his old explorer kit of which he had acquired on a visit to the Sinnoh region. Back in those days, around the time being Champion, he had that obsession for collecting rocks and stones. When he managed to get his hands on one of these kits, the kit basically became his 'best friend'. He took it wherever to get some digging done.

Even in this area of Kalos, where rocks were abundant, Steven had ample opportunity to look for new rocks. However, his business with the bistro wouldn't wait, and he had to sacrifice his time for the business' sake. Perhaps now was the time to get the explorer kit back into gear.

Sighing, he walked over to the window just to peek outside. Although there were plenty of people outside who looked like they were willing to break into the villa, Steven glanced at the window just to look at the weather. It was sunny, but not too hot. If he could get away from the business life for a while, now would be the time.

Eventually, he dressed up in his old hiking clothes. An orange collared shirt, a vest, combat pants, combat boots, and most importantly his bag. It felt like an eternity since he had been in this outfit, and as he put his explorer kit into the bag, he felt the whiff of nostalgia of wanting to excavate rocks again.

_Food_, he thought.

Chansey eggs, croissants, and LaBrie. Maybe a bottle of fresh water. Yes, that seemed like the ideal meal. Steven put on his cooking jacket and got to cooking straight away. He had two eggs fried, a handful of uncooked croissants placed in the oven, and chopped up some pieces of LaBrie to take with him. Perhaps a Slateport cake wouldn't hurt either.

Now, there was the matter of actually getting out.

* * *

"I'm going to be heading out for a while," Steven told his Pokémon. "Well, you're coming with me, Skarmory. But as for the rest of you, you have the house to yourselves."

His lunch was packed in his bag, along with his explorer kit, and he motioned for Skarmory to head to the door with him. He knew it wasn't going to be pleasant once he stepped out of those doors, but it had to be done.

"Please lock the door once I'm out," he instructed Metagross, of which the latter nodded.

Holding his breath, Steven sat on Skarmory's back and had his Armaldo open the door to let him out. The Kalos sunlight broke into the villa as it blinded his eyes. Unfortunately, the shock of the blinding light was overshadowed by the storm of questions that berated after. He could sense the number of cameras that were readied just for him.

But, as he had planned, he and Skarmory shot out of the villa and into the air, and above the crowd of reporters and journalists that had crowded in front. He heard the door slam shut as soon as he was in the air, and when Steven turned his head around to look down he was surprised at the sheer size of people that had surrounded his home.

Reporters, journalists, a news vehicle belonging to Lumiose Press, and a couple of helicopters had his home surrounded. Worse was the fact that the commotion had attracted the locals of Cyllage City, and now the villa was surrounded on every end imaginable.

_Am I glad I got out of there_, Steven thought. _Hmm… and I might have to sell this villa like I did with the one in Sinnoh. So much for living a quiet life!_

And what was to blame? The media. But something had happened yesterday that had demolished his reputation now. He needed to rest. He needed to get away. Truth be told, he was heading in the direction of the ocean which was where he did not intend to go, but it was good to mislead the people.

Unfortunately, the two helicopters weren't keen on letting Steven fly away. Instead, they turned about to pursue him. Steven, annoyed by the ruthless coverage, wished he could bring down the helicopter; but of course that was not an option. But there was no way he would be able to shake them off, and especially at how fast they were moving.

_How am I going to shake them off without harming them?!_ Steven thought. It was near impossible, or at least alone. The flight carried further and further away from the mainland, and above the waters, Steven knew there had to be a way.

They went further and further away from the coast, but even then the helicopters were fast. If they were going to keep following him, he would have to outmaneuver them whenever possible, because it was pointless trying to shake them off.

"Dive, dive, dive," Steven urged. Skarmory dived downward such that he was right above the waters, and then sharply turned away to lose the helicopters. For a moment, he seemed to have lost them, but they quickly turned about to follow him.

_What will it take to shake off these people?!_ Steven thought.

Rather than embarrass himself in front of the countless media present on the shore already, Steven sought to take the situation even further away. He had been in the air for five minutes already, which was disastrous in itself.

More drastic action was needed.

"Skarmory. Use Aerial Ace on their hulls," Steven instructed. "Just do it to give them a scare."

Skarmony questioned Steven's motives, but he obeyed nevertheless. Decreasing his altitude, he went for the bottom of the helicopter and struck it, which caused the machine the shake. Likewise, Skarmory swooped around and did the same with the other helicopter. If nothing else, it felt nothing more than a friendly bump. Even so, it was enough to send the helicopters off course, and gave Steven enough time to get away. He was glad they were far enough away from the villa that the public couldn't see what was going on.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" he shouted.

Now, all Steven cared about was finding a nice place to do excavations. To do that, he would have to be on the ground. The thing about Cyllage City was it was located in an area that was rich with rocky areas, which gave Steven ample opportunities to do some digging. All around the city there were rocks, rocks, and rocks.

In the direction of Geosenge Town lay the mysterious Kalos Route 10, alias the Menhir Trail. It wasn't the best place to do excavations, but Steven hadn't intended to mess with the menhirs either. He was more interested in the mountainous area near Cyllage City, but for the time being wanted to take a walk.

"I'm not hungry yet, if that's what you're thinking," he said to Skarmory.

He landed on the grassy ground, recalled Skarmory, and observed his surroundings. Rows and rows of menhirs lined up amongst fields of green. For a moment, as Steven heard the gentle breeze and scent of the Kalos seaside in the air, he could relax. It felt wonderful to get away from the chaos, and if only – if only – he could experience this feeling every day.

He kneeled down to investigate the nearest menhir. At first, Steven thought about trying to break parts of it with the pickaxe in his explorer kit, but upon close examination he realised the menhirs were actually gravestones. Shuddering, Steven decided to walk along the route towards Cyllage City, where the more 'breakable' rocks were.

However, that didn't stop him from taking a close examination of the menhirs though. Steven did kneel down to look at one closely, albeit knowing they were graves. Although Steven was in no position to break the menhir, he did have to remark that they radiated some form of energy – which was what they were known for. More subtly, they were warm to the touch.

* * *

Elsewhere at the Stone Bistro, in the eyes of Martine Grenadine, business was relatively slow. Even though there were a handful of customers, they were all journalists. She suspected it had to do with the disastrous scandal that had happened the night earlier.

As for Diantha, she had been in the Pokémon Centre's care since last night. Up to now, she hadn't heard from the local doctor yet. What she did know about, in small part due to the news broadcast over radio, was that Diantha was still unconscious but was living and breathing at least. From the report, Diantha had a severe allergic reaction, and as a result the Stone Bistro was under fire for serving 'bad' food to a celebrity of all people.

What Steven did last night was he ended up throwing everyone out the doors, but that was another story.

The Pokémon Centre currently was blocked off by the _gendarme_. As the mass number of people were interested in seeing Diantha, fans and journalists alike, this proved to be a problem for the medical staff. As a result, the Pokémon Centre called on the _gendarme_ to block off the area as a means to protect their patients. The only exceptions were for some radio news hosts and Lumiose Press.

It wouldn't be long before the lunch hours, where business normally picked up. But due to the slow business right now, Martine supposed she could extend her break a little more.

Since the restaurant was so quiet, she ended up talking with Sophie over lunch. For lunch, Martine stuck with a simple meal of onion soup with a croissant whereas Sophie had half a serving of the Stone Accolade. Between them, they were looking at a copy of Lumiose Press on the table, and the popular Kalos magazine.

"They suspect we poisoned her? That's so professional of Lumiose Press," Martine remarked.

"But they're blaming it all on Mr. Stone!" Sophie protested. "It could be Cynthia's fault!"

"You're only saying that because you love his looks," Martine sneered, as if trying to be sassy.

Sophie's face flushed. "No!" she said hotly. "It's not like that! It's – Martine, don't tell me you're saying that because _you_ love his looks! _Quelle fille_!"

Martine held her breath, as if she was partly annoyed, but returned to looking at the paper. The article aside, the photos taken showed embarrassing moments of Diantha being hauled away by Steven. Additional photos showed her trying to clear the way, and the headline claimed Steven was responsible for knocking her out.

That wasn't the end of it, though, because Sophie was reading the popular Kalos magazine.

"And so they think Mr. Stone is having an affair with Diantha and Cynthia," she said, whilst shaking her head. "That is embarrassing. I mean, for him."

Martine turned her head to look out the window, and specifically below. There was a construction crew surveying the area with James. After what appeared to be a conversation between one of the workers and James, the latter nodded and walked back into the restaurant lobby. Odd. What would a construction crew be doing at the Stone Bistro?

"... You would be upset, wouldn't you, Martine?" Sophie asked.

Martine snapped back into reality.

"Uh, yeah, of course I would!" she quickly replied.

This made Sophie smile. "I knew you weren't listening. So, do you have anything personal between you and Mr. Stone? Like, _personal_?" she said.

Martine laughed. "No, no, it's nothing like that! We all know there's only one woman for him. Besides, what about you? Don't you have someone in mind too?"

Sophie wasn't willing to say anything on that, and then she had the perfect excuse not to answer. "Martine, I think there's a customer who wants to order."

Martine looked behind her, and indeed there was a customer. Scowling at Sophie's non-response to her answer, she got up to see to the customer. Sophie, on the other hand, brushed her black hair back for it to wrap behind her ear. She picked up her fork, speared a bit of the sautéed vegetables that made the dish so famous, and continued eating.

At the same time, Martine went up to the customer – a woman dressed in an orange dress with a white-and-orange hat to match.

Martine greeted, "_Bon matin. _What can I get for you today?"

"_Je voudrais un 'Stone Open', s'il vous plait_," the woman replied.

"_Bien sûr,_" Martine replied.

* * *

It was a quiet day for Cynthia, but she didn't mind it at all. Furthermore, the sunlight felt great, and the weather was cool enough that she didn't break a sweat. Indeed, she was well away from her workplace at Vue sur la Lune, and she took the time to relax. The previous night had been chaotic for Steven, and Cynthia was very glad she had escaped the chaos that had unfolded in the Stone Restaurant and Bistro.

Especially when she had expected it too. Cynthia, thus, felt it was a time of celebration under normal circumstances.

"Well, what do you think, Garchomp?" she asked her partner Pokémon. "Care for a berry?"

Garchomp nodded, and Cynthia handed a slice of Razz berry to her. It was a brilliant day for a picnic, so dressed in her casual light-blue vest and black pants, Cynthia went out to look for a quiet place. Unfortunately, Cyllage City was all rocks, cliffs, and stones, so she had to look elsewhere. There was a rocky beach to the south, a cave to the east, and a field to the north. She went for the field.

Now here she was, camping on the grass near the berry tree, drinking a bit of wine in a miniature bottle she had packed for herself. Alongside, she brought a Bluk berry pie and a spinach and cheese pie for lunch. She had only just gotten here, and after sitting on the grass she contemplated eating already, but she waited. She had plenty of time.

Garchomp's head perked. Cynthia, knowing her Pokémon well enough already, didn't even need to ask Garchomp what she had detected, and instead Cynthia stood up to investigate the nearby area.

"Wait here," she said to Garchomp. "I'll be back."

Garchomp looked doubtful, but Cynthia assured she would be back to eat the pie later.

Now that she was really on her own, Cynthia took her time reflecting on the past night. Sure, the night was chaotic, but she didn't know whether to feel sorry for Steven or not. He was the one who had cut off her supplies, and now he was repaid with embarrassment for knocking Diantha unconscious.

Knocking out Diantha. The Kalos Champion. She wondered how Steven would be able to live with himself now. She smiled at the thought, as no one would have ever thought how Diantha had collapsed just like that, other than herself.

Speaking of which, she had to admit she hadn't counted on having a one-on-one with Steven last night, but she was fine with that. She had been to see her morning magazine and read about Steven basically was a victim of a scandal. As she passed the Stone Bistro earlier in the morning, the place was crowded by about twice the number of media from last night.

Despite Steven cutting off her supply line, she had to hand it to him, he looked extraordinary.

She took cover behind a cropping of rock, keen to see who or what Garchomp had detected. When Cynthia did look behind, she gasped.

It was _him._

And _he_ seemed to have heard her gasp.

And now _he_ was walking in her direction.

"_Qui est là?_" he said, his voice partly uncertain.

* * *

**Ooh... What will happen now? Review, and have a serving of Steven's lunch! Chansey eggs, croissants, and a slice of LaBrie. I admit, it seems more like a breakfast though.**


	24. A Rift in Sanctuary

**As promised, I have free time to write more chapters! And what does time mean?! More rapidly updated chapters!**

**I'd like to point out that this is part of a much larger chapter I was writing, but because of the sheer size of the chapter, I had to cut it down in half. The other half is still in progress! Expect it soon!**

**I'd also like to point out that this chapter is more like a transition and serves to prepare for what's coming in the future chapters. As a result, this chapter is one of the shortest insofar!**

**Ahem...**

**dawnleaf1234: Thanks. I think my exams went alright. Not that good, but not that bad either.**

**LEGAL-EAGLE53: Happy belated!**

**dawnleaf1234, SelfiesWithSprinkles, and LEGAL-EAGLE53, please be seated for lunch! Chansey eggs the way you want it, croissants, and LaBrie. Enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-four: A Rift in Sanctuary**_

Cynthia thought briefly about trying to slip away, and perhaps try to snoop on what he was doing. But hey, if Steven was all the way out here, perhaps she could get some clues. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of her hiding spot.

Steven stopped dead.

He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. What he saw was _her_, but she was in a light blue vest, which was a lot more casual than what she wore the previous night. To her credit, she could say just the same about his appearance.

"Um, how have you been?" Cynthia asked him.

"What are you doing here?" Steven shot back.

"I was asking you," Cynthia countered.

She loved the confused expression his face wore. For a long moment, Steven appeared trying to grasp which question he was trying to answer.

"You heard about what happened last night, right?" Steven said, albeit it wasn't a question, and it sort of made Cynthia grimace. "Well, I'm just taking a break here. You know, doing something I love. What about you?"

"I was just about to have lunch," Cynthia replied, and then, in a small voice, said, "Care to join me?"

Steven raised his eyebrows, as if her words didn't make sense to him.

Cynthia's eyes widened, and she tried to recover. "I mean –"

"Sure, I don't mind," he interrupted before she could complete her sentence. "But I hope you don't mind either that I do a little digging? And, where are you eating?"

Surprised by the instant response, Cynthia was at a slight loss for words. Instead, she gave Steven the go-ahead to do his business. On the other hand, she couldn't immediately say where she was eating, as something bad might happen. There could be a moment where she and Steven might fall victim to a fiery crash. Wait, was she being a little paranoid?

"I have no objections," she replied, in the same small voice.

If Martine had seen this, Steven thought, she probably would have been squealing with delight right now. Perhaps Lisia too, who would probably add another 'chapter' to his so-called 'love life' (he desisted the thought). Wallace, of all people, would probably be pressing him even further for this moment. It felt awkward, no less. If only they could understand, if only. Well, perhaps Martine would understand better.

He knelled down to silently observe the wall of rock, as if he were looking for something.

"I hope you're interested in rocks," he said. "The idea here is to look for a portion that's breakable. See the slightly cracks lining up the top portion?"

"They basically show how old the rocks have been," Cynthia said. "Is there anything special?"

Seeing she was genuinely interested, Steven said, "You'd be surprised at the kind of goods you might find underneath. Such is what you'd expect when you're looking under rock that's been there for years."

He pulled out a handheld hammer from his bag which looked, from her perspective, impossibly heavy for the size of its head. Cynthia didn't bother asking him how he did it, however, because he seemed preoccupied with the wall itself. Watching him grasp the hammer with his hands, he swung it downward to smash the surface. After swinging it a few times, Steven retrieved a considerable smaller item in the form of a pickaxe from his bag.

"You can see parts of the wall bulging slightly," he explained, "so that's what we're interested in."

He tapped the pickaxe against the wall, breaking off parts bit by bit. Cynthia watched as he, at some point, broke off enough pieces of stone enough for him to haul out the broken pieces of stone. However, that wasn't the only thing she focused on. Despite his looks, she was impressed by the muscle Steven had while he was extracting the stone. She couldn't help but notice he was _that_ handsome. The muscles in his arms and – lo and behold – the expression on his face –

"Okay, done," Steven stated. "So, how about that lunch we – Cynthia? Are you okay?"

She suddenly realised the state she was in, and she mentally slapped herself for it. Who was she to look at him like this? Her face felt hot, and as a result she turned it away to let her hair cover it. Steven, while partly concerned, shrugged. He hauled the last of the fragments away to extract a Damp Rock within.

"Lovely," Steven remarked, taking the rock and looking at it closely. "Would you care to take a look? Well, I'm not sure, actually. You're looking a little red there."

Only moments later, the wall collapsed on itself, to her surprise. Her breath felt a little short, as she looked into his eyes. He looked like he hadn't broken a sweat, but he was equally good-looking in this light. On the other hand, Steven took the spoil he had retrieved from the wall and started to put away his equipment into his bag.

"Cynthia?"

"I'm fine," she finally said.

"Really? Because you seem a little –"

"You know what? Let's have lunch."

* * *

Near the Berry tree not far from where he was digging, Steven and Skarmory found a clearing of grass. On that clearing, specifically, there was a picnic blanket laid out, and resting on it was a bag (supposedly Cynthia's, Steven thought) and… Garchomp.

"Well, make yourself comfortable, I guess," Cynthia said, sitting down on the blanket first. The ends of her platinum blond hair piled up on the ground behind her, and she brushed a lock behind her ear while keeping part of her hair covering one eye as usual.

She looked up at him, and patted her hand beside her as a gesture for him to sit down. In light of the events of yesterday and the hectic morning, Steven should have been grateful. However, he wasn't sure how to react in front of this woman. Soon after, Steven dropped his bag on the blanket and sat down just slightly across from her, so they were face-to-face.

Steven didn't immediately take out his lunch, and instead he kept his gaze away from her.

Cynthia thought about starting a conversation. Unlike Steven, she was looking directly at _his_ face. He was silent at first, and when he finally caught wind that _she_ was looking right at him, he could no longer avoid it.

After a moment, it felt like it was time to eat. Steven, indeed, took out and unpacked his lunch. As soon as that happened, Cynthia's nose was then greeted with the scent of freshly baked croissants and cooked eggs… Suddenly, she felt hungry too.

"You're hungry, aren't you? What's that you're having?" Steven asked, looking over at what she was grabbing in her bag.

Eventually, the smell of pies wafted in the air and enlightened his senses. Steven watched as Cynthia reached for the first pie and, with a fork, began to eat it. She pierced a part of the shell and with it, spinach and cheese. A modest meal, Steven admitted; it seemed level with his choice of eggs.

Silently, the two former Champions, and now head chefs, ate together.

"Where did you go last night?" Steven asked, although he felt shy in her presence. "I mean – sorry – I meant after what happened to Diantha? You just disappeared!"

Cynthia raised her eyebrows, albeit Steven could only see the one that wasn't covered by her hair. Suddenly, Steven caught wind of what he was saying, and quickly added, "I mean I understand you had to leave the chaos, but I apologise that I wasn't really that good of a host last night."

He watched her chew her food slowly. The pie seemed tasty, yes, but that only reminded him that he needed to eat too. So he helped himself to one of the eggs, and at the same time he pulled out the bottle of fresh water he had with him. When her gaze fell onto his, Steven looked away.

"Apology accepted," she coolly said.

They continued eating in silence, and the only things they could hear were the sound of wind and the rustling of leaves on the Berry tree. For the moment, Steven could relax, although he could fully relax with _her_ being right here with him. As for Cynthia, she ate quietly, and was as silent as _him_.

"What brings you out here, anyway? You never answered… Unless you knew I was here?" Steven suggested.

While waiting for an answer, he finished his eggs and went for the croissants. Cynthia merely kept on eating her spinach and cheese pie. Even with some distance between them, Cynthia could tell her pie was just as fresh as Steven's croissants. She ate a little bit more.

"I've been working for too long, I guess," Cynthia said, whilst shrugging. "I guess getting stuck in the same building non-stop has a price. I needed to find somewhere close, and besides, it's not like I'm going to Lumiose City either."

She had no idea if Steven looked as if he was suspicious. Instead, she focused more on eating her pie. As she kept eating, she noticed Steven continue to munch on his croissants.

The air, although soothing, was awkward.

Not to mention that when she snuck a glance at him, he was looking the other way.

Cynthia took out a serving of chilled mochi balls from her bag. They were white in colour, flat, and with a really slippery feel to it. It seemed the only way to actually eat one was with a spoon, because if they were eaten by hand they would almost certainly be destroyed. On the other hand, they did briefly catch Steven's attention.

* * *

The lone customer who had ordered the Stone Open earlier was certainly taking her time with the meal, Martine could tell. To be fair to the customer, it was the Stone Open, which was probably one of the finest meals ever created by Steven, in her opinion. Because it wasn't that busy in this area of the floor, Martine took the time to wipe the tables with a cloth. Sophie had taken the copy of Lumiose Press with her to downstairs, where customers could read it at the lobby's lounge.

For the time being, Sophie rejoined Laurent afterwards, who looked positively bored.

"Nothing to do, eh?" she said, poking him on the arm.

As receptionists, the two of them normally wouldn't be needing chairs. Nevertheless, the two of them were used to it anyway.

"_Oui_," he replied. "I guess we might get busier tonight, but so far, not a lot to do. Oh gosh, you'll have no idea what the media did. I've heard rumours that they think the two of us are in a relationship. Honestly, they'll want to make up any story."

"But not as bad as the boss' story," Sophie added. "The way Martine put it: she really thinks it's a cliché love-hate relationship. Tell me, Laurent. What do you think?"

Laurent chuckled.

"I can neither confirm nor deny anything about his relationship without any extra details. But in all seriousness," he said, "I kind of feel bad for him. About yesterday, I mean."

"Martine thinks he really blew it," Sophie said this as she shook her head, albeit smiling. "He had the chance to really get it to her, but now it's all gone up in smoke. Who knows what he'll do next?"

Laurent stared at her.

"Were they really _that_ close?! Why didn't you tell me?" His voice held a light vibe of anger. "I could have been there to see it happen!"

"But it didn't," Sophie said back in an effort to recover.

Neither did Sophie and Laurent have that many phone calls for the day. Overall, it had been too quiet, and most customers (mostly journalists) came through the door without advance booking.

"Oh yeah, the fan club is about to have a meeting tomorrow. Did anyone tell you that?" Laurent said, and his face looking like he suddenly remembered this.

The reaction he got wasn't pleasant, because Sophie nearly brought a hand to slap him on the cheek, but he backed off just in time to miss the hit. But, to Sophie's dismay, Laurent merely smiled at her.

"I know you haven't forgotten that," he added, which earned an annoyed face from Sophie.

"I'm not that clueless!" she shot back. "We'll need to make arrangements with the boss, or Monsieur d'Arc at least. Hey… You're not suggesting that I forgot?!"

"Tell you what, I'll go across to Vue sur la Lune and get you something. How about that?" he offered. "You can hold the fort for a bit."

Sophie blinked, and her face showed she was deep in thought. Given the time she took, Laurent had already made his way across the lobby to the front door. It was only when he had his hand on the door handle that he turned around to look at her once more.

"I'll have something sweet, please." Finally. Sophie had thought of something.

"Just like you," Laurent replied, although his voice suggested he was more than casual about it.

Sophie gasped. She had not been expecting that response from her friend at all. But by the time she could think of a counter, Laurent was already outside and walking across the street. Feeling personally helpless, Sophie looked down at the desk in front of her and stared.

* * *

**Heh, and things will start moving a little next chapter, which is bigger than this one and is still in progress. Remember this is a transition! But does look into their lives...**

**Review, and enjoy a whole pie from Cynthia! Spinach and cheese, anyone?**


	25. Problems of Keeping Calm

**I am proud to announce that 'Culinary Rivals', almost two years since publishing, is approaching a MILESTONE. With 110 reviews and over 9000 views, we have crossed over 100,000 words! That puts it in the league with 'Serendipity'! (which I have respect for) Thank you, loyal customers, for keeping up!**

**"It's OVER 9000!"**

**"What, 9000?! There's no way that can be right!"**

**Unfortunately, a kitchen FIRE has delayed the food that was supposed to arrive (this chapter was supposed to be uploaded days ago). The reason is that for some reason has problems with file uploads and has yet to be resolved. For now, I'm using old files to serve your courses.**

**However, at least I can carry on business. Gosh! Why did the site have to break down at the right time?!**

**Ahem...**

**So everyone has noticed something between our two receptionists...**

**To SelfiesWithSprinkles, dawnleaf1234, LEAGLE-EAGLE53, and That Anonymous guest: please, have a seat, and enjoy a nice spinach and cheese pie from Cynthia. It might be a little overcooked due to the kitchen fire.**

* * *

**_Chapter twenty-five: Problems of Keeping Calm_**

The two former Champions continued to eat in relative silence, save for the gentle breeze that continued to blow from the direction of Cyllage City. Steven finished his croissants and Chansey eggs, and only began starting on his pieces of LaBrie, whereas Cynthia was partway through eating her Bluk berry pie. Garchomp herself did help herself to pie as well, but she kept eyeing Steven's LaBrie. Skarmory looked partly disapproving.

"What is it you like about rocks, anyway?" she said suddenly.

Steven was just about to bite into a piece of cheese when she asked this. Out of respect for her, Steven looked at her and put down the cheese.

"Call it an obsession or a passion," he answered. "You'd be amazed at the beauty of the rocks you could find. You know, the patterns on each one can tell different stories. It's for the same reason why some people like to collect ribbons, and or the occasional ruin maniac who's always hoping for a discovery."

"Take the menhirs for example," he added, before Cynthia could react. "I noticed they held a lot of energy within them, and was about to conduct an excavation there until I realised that they –"

"– were the graves of Pokémon," Cynthia finished the sentence.

This prompted Steven to be curious. He then popped a bit of the cheese into his mouth, swallowed, and looked at her. He could tell Cynthia's face was partly red and her ears were pink.

"How did you know that? What about you? What do you like?" he then added.

Sighing, he decided to give her a moment to answer, and in that time he was amused at how long it was taking.

Silence. Just utter silence.

"I suppose you could say I'm a bit of a ruin maniac myself," she said in a small voice.

Steven raised his eyebrows. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, as he didn't know her that well. Nor was he interested in getting to know Cynthia better, although Martine and Wallace would beg to differ. However, she might have misinterpreted the eyebrow-raising as a go-ahead to continue.

"I adore ruins and history," she added. "Did you know that these graves were…?"

She stopped, hoping she wasn't annoying Steven. But Steven merely nodded for her to go on.

"These graves were part of a process to supply energy to a so-called 'ultimate weapon' many years ago," Cynthia explained, saying this as she tried to recollect her knowledge. "I'm talking thousands of years. It's a shame Pokémon had to be sacrificed to do so. That is, if you knew what was going on back in those days, a war was…"

Steven's mouth drew a humourless smile.

"No wonder these rocks have some degree of energy output," he said.

Cynthia became aware of how much she was saying and wished she hadn't spoken any further. Instead, she looked the other way, and tried to think of a pretext to steer the conversation elsewhere.

However, Steven was just slightly ahead of her. "Perhaps I ought to come back to Sinnoh one of these days and get back to the Underground. Have you ever been there? It's an excavator's dream."

"Nah. Only my old fellow Gym Leaders Byron and Roark would be interested in that stuff. Oh, and the Underground Man," Cynthia said. In her heart she really needed to think of a pretext to divert the conversation.

Yet her mind absentmindedly slipped elsewhere. "I hear Hoenn has a vast amount of ruins, including where the three titans laid to rest. You know, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. I hope maybe when I have time, I'll try to explore those places myself."

"Do you really?" Steven's eyes tweaked with interest. Finally, he was actually sinking deep into some conversation here! "Maybe I ought to show you around, as a fellow Champion. In return, perhaps you could tell me about Regigigas."

Cynthia realised just what kind of position she was in right now, and really had to talk about something else before something bad could happen. Bad for her, anyway.

Her eyes laid on Garchomp, who was still looking at Steven's plate of LaBrie. "Oh, Garchomp, are you hungry?"

"I suppose she hasn't had enough of cheese," Steven suggested. He tried to smile. Silently, he passed Garchomp a couple pieces. At the same time, he held up some of the cheese to Cynthia as well. "Would you care for some?"

For the moment, Cynthia had no idea how to answer. She was finished with her pies, so she had little excuse to not accept the cheese Steven offered before her. She could opt for the mochi balls, but that was a dessert, and cheese always came before dessert.

Awkwardly, without looking directly at him, she slowly ate the LaBrie. Steven proceeded to finish eating his portion too, whilst feeding another portion to Skarmory. He seemed oblivious to her that she was struggling with the circumstances.

Why did she invite him to have lunch with her in the first place?

"How's Diantha doing?" she asked.

"She's still recovering," Steven replied. "When she discharged, I'll have a load of questions for her, and I might as well give her an apology. That might soften the media's grip on me."

Cynthia's face turned into one of worry, and she looked away from him.

In truth, Cynthia was a bit jealous of Steven and his restaurant. With all the media coverage Steven was getting, she saw across the street dozens and dozens of people trying to get into the restaurant earlier in the morning. She simply couldn't comprehend what sorts of business was occurring at Steven's restaurant, but she was more surprised that Steven himself wasn't there. Although, she understood it wouldn't help him much if he went back, which was why he was on a break. What a coincidence that they two of them met up in the same place.

After finishing her cheese, she glanced over at her chilled mochi balls.

"What is it you have there?" Steven glanced at the dessert treat once more.

Holding her breath, Cynthia reached for a spoon with a shaky hand and scooped up one of the white, goopy, treats. Then she held it to Steven for him to hold.

"It's… something you might find 'weird', but I trust you might like it." She couldn't believe she was saying this.

He hesitated, but slipped the ball into his mouth anyway. All he needed to do was bite.

His eyes, Cynthia watched, narrowed.

As soon as he bit into the mochi ball, he felt the explosion of strawberry burst out of its mochi capsule and expand into all areas of his mouth. It was a weird sensation as Cynthia had promised! But Steven found the complements of the expanding fruit and liquid combined with the softness of mochi to be extraordinary.

"I'm… wow, Cynthia," Steven remarked.

Cynthia felt like almost blushing, but she felt more unnerved at the prospect of Steven going to see Diantha once she could leave the Pokémon Centre. Faced with a flood of emotions, she began to worry. The way she saw Steven _enjoying_ her food and realising she had just given one to _him_.

She thought eating one of the mochi balls would help, but it didn't. It helped for a minute, but eventually she grew increasingly uncomfortable.

Her hands became partly twitchy too.

To calm herself down, she took out a stick of perfume spray to merely use it. Steven raised his eyebrows while he chewed on the mochi treat, which caused Cynthia to grow nervous again, but he simply did this because he found the mochi and the strawberry to be very delicious indeed.

After swallowing the dessert, he pulled out the Damp Rock to show it to her. "But you know, this is a kind of rock you normally apply to Pokémon. The rumour has it that it extends the duration of Rain Dance, which would be useful for dry days, you know?"

"Hmm…" Cynthia muttered.

"You can hold it if you like." He offered the rock for her to hold, but stopped short upon realising Cynthia was no longer paying attention. "You okay?"

_He_ didn't notice it at all, but her eyes were fixed on his face, as if she was in a dream. _He_ stopped short wondering if there was a correlation between her trance and his offer to hold the rock, but she had _her_ eyes tracing down from his eyes to his lips…

* * *

Sophie had no idea how long she had been staring at the desk for until she was interrupted by the approaching of footsteps. Snapping out of her trance, Sophie smoothed the front of her black hair once before greeting the customer, as she was trained to be.

"_Bienvenue au Stone Restaurant and Bistro_," she said. However, Sophie realised she was talking to someone she recognised. The female friend of Steven's friend, and alongside was the girl whose hair was very similar to Steven's friend.

"_Salut_," Winona greeted. "_Pour trois, s'il vous plait_."

"Let me guess: is that flamboyant friend of yours with you?" Sophie asked, albeit it wasn't really a question. "_Quel est votre nom?_"

"_Je suis Winona_," Winona replied. "Remember me? Yeah, he'll be coming here soon."

Lisia stood silently beside Winona, waiting, but she couldn't help but notice Sophie's face. Although Sophie realised Lisia was looking right at her, she wasn't unnerved.

"Hey, mademoiselle," Lisia said. "Why is it that your cheeks are red? Love trouble?"

Sophie brought a hand to her cheek and realised it was _that_ hot. Quickly, she turned away from Lisia, and held her breath. In fact, she wasn't even smiling, but rather showed signs of annoyance. She was asked something like this by Wallace only two days ago.

"Let me ask you this," Sophie's tone became 'menacing', although her face was so red that Lisia found it very funny. "What is it with you and – and – that Wallace? Why do you _always_ have to ask these things?!"

"Let's be honest here…" Lisia started. It was clear she was enjoying the moment, and tormenting Sophie of her love life. "There is someone."

In Winona's eyes and ears, Lisia's words could even mirror Wallace's. True, she agreed with Wallace that Steven and Cynthia _belonged_ to each other, but Wallace's 'help' didn't seem to be effective. Indeed, Lisia was attempting the splitting approach with Sophie here.

As a result, Winona placed a hand on Lisia's shoulder.

"That's enough, buddy," she calmly said. "We need to eat, and so does Wallace."

Sophie took a deep breath, and showed a sign of relief as Lisia and Winona were escorted by a waiter to their table on the ground floor. As soon as they were gone, Sophie used the time to catch her breath. How could she have lost it like that? Not that Lisia was trying to dig _that_ deep into her personal life?

No sooner were Winona and Lisia seated at their table. From the looks of it, it appeared their view was partly obstructed by a construction project going on outside. But it really didn't matter that much to them, as they hadn't intended to stay for too long. The atmosphere was partly quiet, but there were of plenty of customers to compensate. The way Lisia saw it, there was one customer eating alone, and then there was Martine. That was all. The plenty of other customers – mainly the media – didn't count.

Speaking of the media, Winona was even more surprised that the media didn't bother with the two of them. Lisia was a contest star, and Winona herself a Gym Leader. Sure, Steven's restaurant might be the scandalous talk of the town (or city, for that matter), but still.

* * *

No sooner did Wallace actually show up at the Stone Bistro's lobby, which was pretty unfortunate for Sophie. Here she was, wrestling with the personal humiliation Lisia had bestowed her. Oh, where was Laurent when she needed him, in her 'darkest hour'? Sophie had to face Wallace alone.

No really. This really was her darkest hour!

"Ah, my dear," Wallace greeted, adding a wink. "Where is my man, Steven?"

He loved the face he was getting from the pretty receptionist. The latter appeared partly flustered still, but she regained her form.

"He's not here," she replied, although a little on edge, "and if you did try visiting him, you'll have a ton of trouble with the media."

"You're hiding something," Wallace said accusingly.

Sophie blushed.

"I'm trained with these eyes to see things, buddy," Wallace added. "So, have you found someone yet? We need to talk about this."

"I don't want to talk about it!" Sophie cried. "Just – just go inside. Your girlfriend is already there, and so is your… daughter?"

"That's my niece you're addressing. But hey, did I hear that you're jealous that I have a girlfriend, eh? You ought to find a boyfriend yourself," Wallace added playfully. "At least your odds of getting one are probably higher than Steven's, I'll admit."

"No!" Sophie denied. She ended up burying her face into the desk. "I don't want to talk! Just – just go inside. They're on the ground floor."

Subsequently, Wallace did end up walking into the area to rejoin his companions, and left Sophie to her misery. Winona and Lisia were sitting across from each other, so Wallace opted for the seat right next to Winona.

"What took you so long, uncle?" Lisia asked.

"I was practising," he replied.

"Practising what?" a voice said from behind. It caught Wallace by surprised.

Wallace, unnerved, looked behind to see Martine bring a bottle of wine to the table, with two glasses. He laughed, and gestured Martine to pour a glass. Winona's eyes lit up at the sight of the bottle, however. "Oh, something I might try on my friend Steven, eventually," he said, as he watched his glass filled partway with red wine. "Hard to believe it works on his workers but not himself. He's never going to get far in life at this rate."

The redhead shrugged, but all the same said, "If only that were true…"

"Martine," Winona interrupted. "Do you mind if I see that bottle?"

Martine raised an eyebrow, but indeed left the bottle on the table on condition that they wouldn't drink from it further.

* * *

It had taken a while for their food to arrive, in which Wallace spent the time talking with his niece about pointless topics about Steven. On the other hand, Winona spent her time analysing the wine she was drinking. Why did this remind her of a certain food she had not too long ago? Like… chocolate.

Eventually, the food arrived, courtesy of Martine. Lumiose-style salad for Winona. Onion soup for Wallace. A portion of roasted chestnuts for Lisia. All of the dishes looked very appetising, and it was a good thing they were hungry.

"_Bon appetit_," Martine stated.

"_Merci beaucoup_," Winona replied.

Wallace picked up his spoon and was about to eat, but he seemed to remember something.

"By the way, Martine, the woman over there wants to see you," he said.

Martine looked over to the lone table, to the customer dressed in orange clothes who had been taking her time with her food. It appeared she was still working through her meal, but she was calling for a server.

* * *

James d'Arc was still as busy as always with the amount of orders and customers coming through. He had been to see the media coverage, and he figured that the irony of the media spreading plausibly false rumours of the Stone Bistro was helping attract customers. Oh, if only Steven was here to see this. Sure, it had been quiet for most of the day, but there were customers still. As he was cooking more onion soup, the cooks still did their best to attend to their respective dishes. They cooked and baked in the same manner Steven Stone had shown them.

Martine, at some point, walked into the kitchen.

"Uh, Monsieur d'Arc?" Martine said. Her voice was cool and deprived of its usual casual tone. "The customer would like to see the chef."

Suddenly all eyes were on Martine, and then subsequently James. James, while a little surprised, looked left and right before he breathed again. His face was very neutral as he walked towards the doors. The eyes of the kitchen followed him and Martine until they were well past the doors.

They approached the customer at last.

"_Bon après-midi, madame_," James greeted. "_Besoin d'aide_?"

Not far from where Martine and James were standing, Winona was still examining the bottle as Wallace and Lisia ate their respective lunches. While Lisia watched the scene unfold between Martine, James, and the customer, Wallace was halfway through with his onion soup. However, he noticed Winona had barely touched her salad.

"You should be fortunate you can eat that thing cold. You haven't touched it!" he commented. "Interested in buying that bottle?"

"It's just… No, I just –" Winona was at a loss for words. "I need to tell Steven about this."

"Ah, you must really like this wine, eh?"

"No!"

Wallace grinned like an idiot. If only it was this easy to fluster Steven too. The next moment, he and Winona were silent, and the only sounds that could be heard were the indistinct conversations from nearby customers, and the munching of Lisia's chestnuts.

Eventually, they looked at Martine who was headed in their direction. Wallace looked like he had intended to say something, but stopped at the sight of her face.

"Oh. Martine," Wallace said. "Is something the matter?"

Martine's lips stiffened, but she then replied, "It seems like we have a customer that Steven will be interested in. We'll have to let him know about it."

Wallace rolled his eyes. "Martine. You and I know better than that that Steven has _one_ woman who is best for him. A certain platinum blond. Even Lisia understands."

"I _do_ understand, but that's completely irrelevant!" Martine cried. "You're thinking through this too hard! The point is that this isn't that! It's company business."

Wallace wanted to continue his tormenting, but Winona figured she had enough. Knowing that she couldn't overpower Wallace's endlessly speaking mouth, she buried her head in her arms on the table even if there was a plate of salad before her. That, though, was enough to catch everyone's attention.

"She seems quite annoyed by you, Wallace," Martine remarked.

"Nonsense," Wallace countered, and he extended an arm to pat Winona's shoulder. "We've known each other too long. Right, Winona?" Winona didn't respond to Wallace at all. Nevertheless, Wallace kept up this vein until Martine went over to talk to Lisia.

"Speaking of which," Martine added. "In light of Steven's relationships, I found out something which you might find entertaining!"

Wallace looked at Martine whereas Lisia's eyes twinkled. "Okay," the latter said. "What is it?"

Martine could only giggle. "Yesterday, I was told to clean up Steven's office while he was away. Guess what I found?"

_I've got a good feeling about this_, Lisia thought.

"A copy of 'Apples and Oranges'; the one from the magazine!" Martine said, as she laughed. "Don't you think that says anything more than what Steven is now?"

Wallace and Lisia looked stunned at first, but they joined in with smiles. Very, very, wide smiles.

"I don't know…" Winona added, though her voice was muffled as her head was still buried in her arms. "It sure looked like it until what happened last night. Who knows what he's going through? Cynthia might feel the same."

It didn't matter to Wallace, though.

"We have been told of one of Steven's harshest secrets! Don't you know, Winona, that when his love is on the line, we need all we can get to help him. This is a bonus!" he said. "Besides, this will be the final nail in the coffin of his world of denial."

Cynthia.

Winona suddenly remembered something. Something so familiar that had to do with the wine bottle she was observing.

"I think…" she started.

She was interrupted by Wallace's hand covering her mouth, and then she was silent for certain. In spite of her thoughts of yesterday, that Steven's relationship with Cynthia might have approached a low, Winona had to admit that the magazine Martine showed her might have a point. But she still had doubts.

As for Wallace covering her mouth, Winona was very annoyed. The latter shook off the former's hand after.

"You're paying the bill!" she cried.

"Of course, milady," Wallace sang, like he was enjoying this too much.

Winona sighed. She expected as much from her boyfriend. Steven would have to wait.

As for Martine, she figured she had done her part to provide Wallace and Lisia with what they needed to know. "I'll leave you to finish your meals, _vous trois_," she nodded and walked away to rejoin James. Upon leaving, Lisia and Wallace looked very content, and they happily ate the rest of their chestnuts and soup. But Winona, Winona had something else on her mind, and ate her salad slowly.

* * *

Sophie still had her face buried on the desk in embarrassment. She felt so embarrassed that there were even tears streaming from her eyes. Oh, why did Wallace have to act like the way he did? And Lisia too?

At the very least, the pace of customer intake was slow still. She knew she had to stay professional, and anything less would probably mean she would get a scolding from James. But how could she work in this state? She would have to get someone to relieve her of duty for now.

"You're not going to work well in that state," a familiar voice said.

Sophie looked up instantly, and her face went red just as fast upon the sight of her co-receptionist. Laurent was standing right there, with a small paper box in his hand.

"Are you crying?!" Laurent's voice was half-amused and half-uncertain. "Sophie, what's gotten into you? One moment you're fine, and then you're not."

"It's – it's nothing," she sniffled, wiping away her tears.

Laurent looked unconvinced, but instead of pressing the question, he placed the box on the desk and went around the desk to take his usual position. He could tell Sophie wasn't crying because she was unhappy, but because of other reasons unknown.

"Still," he continued, "I did get you something sweet. You might like it! The man at the café said it was a new addition, so he insisted on buying it."

Sophie opened the box herself, and found four pieces of white mochi balls. Just by touching the box itself, she could tell that these were meant to be served cold and chilled. However, she still sniffled at the sight of it. Laurent offered her a spoon to scoop one of the mochi balls.

"Come on, we need to work, so cheer up!" he said with a grin. "After that, we can talk to Mr. Stone about getting time off for the fan club."

Eventually, the two receptionists each had a mochi ball in their hands and they ate them at the same time. The result was looks of surprise, with Laurent trying to comprehend the burst of fruity flavour from the mochi ball as he ate. On the other hand, Sophie seemed equally surprised, but the sweetness of the fruit combined with the surprise of an exploding and expanding fruit was enough to wipe her embarrassment away.

"This is really good!" Sophie's voice was s cheer. "How did she do it?"

"You're telling me," Laurent said rhetorically.

Afterwards, both Sophie and Laurent felt a lot better after having the sweet treats. Now, they felt more motivated to get back to work, and in time for more customers to arrive. It was a good thing that this time, they weren't media.

* * *

"I'm – I'm sorry, Steven, but I have to go!" Cynthia said rather uncomfortably.

She took off with Garchomp and her basket, leaving Steven alone.

"Wait! You dropped…" he trailed off, and kneeled down to pick up a stick of perfume spray. But by the time he stood and looked up, Cynthia was gone. She had disappeared like she had vanished into thin air.

_That was fast_, Steven thought. Looking at the perfume in his hand for a moment, he pocketed it after. He decided he would have to give it back another time.

Speaking of time, he figured it was also time to go as well. It was a beautiful day, but Steven thought that at this point the media would have left his home by now. He packed up his Explorer Kit, the rocks he found, and whatever of his lunch he couldn't finish. Truth be told, he did finish it all.

Deciding not to make a noticeable entrance, Steven went back to Cyllage City on foot. However, he had Skarmory accompany him on the way.

_I better remember to give this back to her._

He took out the perfume to look at it again. Out of his curiosity, he sprayed a bit of it to get an idea of its smell. It smelled of coconut.

_That smells nice_.

Suddenly, Steven realised what he was doing and desisted, blushing as he did.

* * *

It wasn't before long that Steven had made it back to the premises of the Stone Bistro. As expected, there were a lot of people gathered around his restaurant but no one was trying to get in. He supposed that being away from the place really did pay off, since he had no desire to face another onslaught of questions from the public.

He had to owe it to James and Laurent, though.

But Steven was determined to see how things were going on there anyway. As he walked on the Cyllage City sidewalk, he noticed Vue sur la Lune was also equally swarmed by news crews. But they were also enjoying good business too. He could tell.

When it came to entering his own restaurant, Steven expected none of the people gathered outside to recognise him in his current attire. But it was better to not take any chances. In addition, he was well amused that the media had still crowded around the front doors but that was all. They hadn't bothered with neither the bakery, bar, nor the museum. So when it came to entering, Steven chose the bar, as it had direct access into the restaurant.

He did greet the barman as he walked in, and was met with equal response. Casually, Steven walked into the restaurant's lobby shortly after; only to find a group waiting for a table. It didn't matter if the people waiting were speaking behind Steven's back either. Instead, he went up to approach the receptionists.

"_Bon après-midi_," Steven greeted.

Both Laurent and Sophie looked up with brief expressions of shock.

"Mr. Stone!" they said simultaneously.

Before Steven could say anything, Sophie beat him to it. "So, how's life with the media hunting you down?"

"You can't _imagine_ what life has been without you," Laurent added.

Steven had no idea if he should take that as an insult.

Even worse, though, he noticed that there was a paper box on the desk in front of Laurent. It had, no doubt, the decals of Vue sur la Lune.

"Where did you get that –?" he started.

"Laurent got it for me," Sophie cut in. The smile on her face was too apparent. "It was really tasty."

Before Steven could find the words to make a counter, his thoughts were interrupted by a third voice entering the conversation.

"Where have _you_ been, boss?"

Steven wasn't the only one who looked, as Laurent and Sophie followed his gaze. Martine Grenadine was standing near the side, appearing like she had come from the dining area.

"_Qu'est-ce que c'est, Martine?_" Steven said, but not before shooting a glare at Sophie and Laurent (who were oblivious to it). "I was just on a break, but I should be okay now. _As-tu un problem?_"

"_Non_," Martine denied. "It's just that you need to see James right away. There's something you need to see."

Steven wished he had brought his suit with him, as he clearly wasn't in the right clothes to make an appearance at his restaurant. Why didn't he just go home and grab his clothes? Oh right, it was swarmed with reporters and a helicopter who were ready to berate him with endless questions as ammunition. No, it was safer to stay here.

"Very well, I'll go there," he said, and then he seemed to remember something. He pulled out the perfume spray Cynthia dropped and tossed it to Martine. "Do me a favour and put this in my office."

"_Oui_, boss," Martine replied, although she seemed slightly weirded by her boss carrying _perfume_ in his pocket. Was it something he only just started? To attract the ladies, perhaps? "Whose is this, boss?"

"It's Cynthia's," Steven said flatly. "Don't ask any more questions."

Martine's eyes shined and her eyebrows were raised. "Ooh, this is _Cynthia's_? Did you see her today? Did she give this to you? Oh, boss, I knew it. I knew it! So, what were you and her up to today? Something romantic, I bet? Come on…"

Steven sighed. He expected as much from his 19-year old red-haired waitress. Furthermore, Martine's eyes simply shined at the mention of that name.

Martine's eyes lit up. "Oh, I know! You two went on a date!"

But before Steven could even _think_ about anything, Martine was on her way to the office – and happily whistling while she was at it. Steven figured he had to attend to his own business too, and went into the dining area to meet James. Even so, he had no idea how to quell that simple attitude of Martine's.

Even worse, that outburst from Martine could plainly be seen and heard by the two receptionists in the lobby. Steven turned his head to look at Sophie and Laurent: whilst Laurent was giving Steven the nods, Sophie's nods had smiles all over them.

* * *

**Watching those two receptionists also makes me smile.**

**Review, and you can - I seriously insist on it - try out one of these delightful fruit-filled mochi balls that 'explode' in the mouth the moment you bite on it. Picture that soft mochi ball in your mouth as you bite onto it and once it opens fruit just gushes around your mouth...**


	26. Under the Media's Gauntlet

**I probably SHOULD HAVE announced I was on a three-week hiatus last month, since I wasn't anywhere near the computer, so no wonder I couldn't work on 'Culinary Rivals' last week. As if that kitchen fire I had last chapter wasn't enough, and now I'm taking full responsibility for the huge delay.**

**For dawnleaf1234, LEGAL-EAGLE53, R, and Great: please enjoy a round of fruit-filled mochi balls. Oh, and have a Slateport cake on top of that. Please, I insist!**

**I'm quite surprised with the popularity between Sophie and Laurent, frankly (and I love the ship, heheheh).**

**To R, just you wait!**

**To Great, how many times have you died?! Almost 2 billion times?! Bear with me here.**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-six: Under the Media's Gauntlet**_

Lo and behold, there was Wallace, Winona, and Lisia.

"My friend! It's great to see you again!" Wallace greeted. "Have you had enough of the media already? It's a wonder how you even got here! I even saw this morning on the news that you had violently attacked a helicopter, and then you took off with Skarmory. Hey, how has life been?"

"Not good," Steven said. In order to play it safe, it was much better the less Wallace knew about what happened earlier.

"I would have thought you had stayed in your home, all alone…" Wallace sang. "Besides, how have you been holding up since last night?"

"Also not good," Steven added, flatly. "The media has been impacting my business."

"You need to embrace this coverage. You saw her, right?" Wallace teased. When the response he got was utter silence, his smile grew. "Ah, I guessed right, didn't I? So, what did you do today? I thought that in light of yesterday, you must be burning with anger like the sun. But of course the power of love is greater –!"

Steven gave Wallace a glare (as usual, from the latter's point of view) and walked away. Wallace was enjoying the moment though, because Steven had the exact same facial expression as Sophie did earlier.

Wallace stood up to confront his 'best friend'.

"Friend," he said, which annoyed Steven further. "Martine has been telling me –"

"You will take anything that girl says," Steven said flatly. "I'm off."

Winona remembered something she had to tell Steven as well, but before she could say anything, Wallace put a stop to her by sitting down and looking at her straight in the eye.

"Finish your lunch, dear," Wallace coaxed, though Winona ended up rolling her eyes at that. She supposed talking to Steven could wait until later.

Lisia stood up to strike a pose. "I had to tell you about this last night! About the second chapter of your love story! I'm calling it, "Hearts Collide! My Culinary Rival!" In that case, Steven ignored the words and walked away.

Unfortunately, Wallace wasn't letting go that easily. He slapped a firm hand onto Steven's shoulder, and thus grinded the head chef to a halt. Steven looked back to give Wallace – for lack of better word – the glare Wallace was used to seeing. In Wallace's opinion, it was almost laughable.

"Now, now, _mon ami_," Wallace's voice was very smooth. "I know you saw her today, but you must consider how far you've progressed!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Steven said, as if Wallace was trying to force something on him.

"You know, here's my advice," Wallace stepped closer, which made Steven uncomfortable. "If there's anyone you should model your love life after, there's me and Winona, and your two –"

"Enough," Steven shook Wallace off. "There's more than enough advice you can give me without things going up in smoke like they did last night."

"– they might even teach you a thing or two," Wallace continued, and completely ignoring what Steven had said. As a result, Steven walked away and left Wallace where he was.

* * *

He joined James d'Arc at last, who was seated with a customer dressed in orange clothes.

"_Salut, _James," Steven said. "Ah, and this is…"

"The customer," James explained. He cleared this throat to continue. "Or, to be more exact, a critic. _Madame LeBlanc, c'est le chef._"

_Madame Marie LeBlanc…_ Steven thought. Suddenly, Steven felt even more awkward that he was appearing before a critic in casual clothes. It was embarrassing, really. Would it perhaps damage his reputation even further?

"Pardon my appearance, madame," Steven said, as he brought a nearby seat to sit on.

"It's okay," the critic replied. "I want to talk about other things, though. Especially regarding a dish I just had. So please sit."

Steven didn't have his hopes up, especially as of what happened the previous night, but that didn't stop him from his eyes lighting up.

* * *

Across the street, at Vue sur la Lune, Cynthia was quietly sipping a coffee at her café. While the drink was soothing, she was anything but relaxed. She had no idea what state she was in right now, except all she cared about was getting away from her getaway.

She stared at her coffee; dully stirring away at it with her spoon.

_How could I have lost it like that?_ Cynthia thought.

Henri Matin, still working as part of the café and barista, served a cocktail on a slider for Cynthia, fresh from the café. As he placed the glass on the table, he could tell his boss was slightly in a sad mood.

"_Comment ça va?_" he asked.

Cynthia's breathing was shallow and short. She didn't give an immediate answer and the only thing she did was stir her coffee around. She looked at the cocktail: it was a two-layer drink, with a serving of _sirop de grenadine_ on the upper layer and pineapple juice on the lower layer. The layers were perfectly separated and had a straw in it waiting to be stirred, with a slice of orange to complement the drink.

"We're all worried for you, you know," Henri said. "_Ou es-tu allé ce matin?_"

"That is something I can't tell you," Cynthia replied. "I'm doing fine, though."

Henri based his guess on the attire Cynthia was wearing. Her light-blue vest added with the faint smell of grass suggested she must have gone somewhere out of Cyllage City, but where? Somewhere close, that's for sure. One of the nearby routes made sense.

"You were on the front page of Lumiose Press this morning," Henri added. "Care to explain what happened? All we know now is that Diantha is still in the Pokémon Centre, and as far as we're concerned, the Stone Restaurant and Bistro is starting to have a bad reputation."

"Can't blame them," Cynthia remarked, still not looking at Henri. Instead, she kept staring at her coffee. Shortly after, she picked up her cocktail and stirred with the straw, and watching the _sirop de grenadine_ blend with the Pinap below.

Henri smirked. "You sure don't have any feelings for this guy? The magazine made it pretty clear, you know. Plus the media and that reporter, Alexa, made a pretty good story out of it."

"Well, why would I have feelings?" Cynthia's face read like she had suffered a mortal blow. "I'm not going to have my life governed by the media, as if there exists an author somewhere at his computer and deciding who my ideal partner will be. If he did exist, I'll have a word with him."

She looked at Henri, who in return looked like he was worried for her sanity. Alas, a smile curled at the edge of his mouth shortly after.

"Okay," he said, as if he already expected such an answer. After that, he left Cynthia on her own.

_Perhaps a little expansion ought to lighten the mood a little, and lighten my mind…_ she thought.

There was a copy of the day's Lumiose Press on the other table. With nothing more to do but struggle with her thoughts, Cynthia read the paper. The entertainment section, surprisingly, made the headline. On the front cover showed an embarrassing photograph of Diantha collapsed on the table with Steven desperately trying to keep the media away, and herself merely sitting and – for lack of better word – avoiding the situation. Cynthia did open the paper, and took into account that there were more photos than article.

Even more so, there was Steven and his young waitress trying to haul Diantha away. How embarrassing! To put an end to it, there was the article.

_So they reckon Diantha was poisoned, and it was all Steven's fault_, she thought. _Suppose it has to be his fault. It just has to be._

To business, she had to get plans to build an expansion. Whatever she had in mind, it would have to be open in two days' time. On other notes, the café was busy preparing new dessert recipes to sell, and she would be spearheading the effort. They depended on her to show them how it was done. Something with ice cream, probably, which meant Cynthia had to locate a supplier since Vue sur la Lune didn't stock ice cream.

She could only imagine what Steven's reaction would be if he found out about the recipe.

And then she desisted to even continue thinking about him. Why would she be thinking about him at this time? It wasn't like she was trying to affirm Henri's point, right? But she had just saw him today! And they ate together!

"Hey! If it isn't the usual lady!" a somewhat familiar voice said. Oh, if it isn't Chili.

Cynthia looked up. The Striaton critics, of course. Chili, joined by Cilan.

"Haven't seen you since yesterday," she commented. "Now that seemed like a long time ago."

"We saw _you_ in the paper," Cilan said. "What happened last night, anyway?"

"Well, you don't suppose it was because of Steven's irresponsibility?" Cynthia replied. "He did knock out Diantha, of course."

Cilan and Chili exchanged glances. As food professionals, they had the right to analyse the different aspects of what had happened that night.

"Correlation isn't causation, Cynthia. Even you must know that," Cilan said. "You know, it might not be Steven's fault. Who knows the other factors that might have contributed? It could be that there was something in the food that could have been deliberately put in there to target her."

Cynthia stiffened.

"But you know, that's the stuff we see in crime dramas," Cilan laughed. "There's no telling if that's even possible."

Cynthia sighed, and noticed that the third of the brothers wasn't even present. "Where's Cress?"

"He's outside in the plaza," Cilan said. "He went over to the bakery across to get some Slateport Cakes for us."

"I see…" Cynthia muttered.

But Chili wasn't done with Cynthia yet. Nor was Cilan.

"Besides, doesn't Diantha have an allergy towards coconut? We saw that yesterday!" Chili said. "What if… someone smuggled coconut into Diantha's meal? That would be the perfect conspiracy theory!"

Cynthia kept her head down. Instead, she calmly picked up her cup of coffee to sip, and as soon as her lips left the cup she shuddered.

But to add more to her misery, Cilan pitched in with a question of his own.

"We still demand answers from you," he said. "Where did you get the wine for the fondue yesterday? We have to know!"

"Oh let it go already…" Cynthia begged. "I can't reveal my suppliers. I can't reveal company secrets just because!"

Cilan nearly wanted to press for more answers, but Chili pulled his arm to direct his attention to outside.

"Ah, and there's Cress now," Cilan added. "We'll be going, but I hope you'll answer my question eventually. We just need to grab some coffees to go. They sure taste wonderful with those cakes. Ooh… the taste of honey in cake with coffee… It's a wonder you and Steven aren't married."

So the two brothers left the café right after, only to leave Cynthia on her own again. If anything, she was in an even more uncomfortable state than ever. Currently, she was flustered. The most embarrassing part for Cynthia was that it had taken a _long_ time for her to process the words.

"We are NOT getting married!" she shouted after them.

But by then, Cilan and Chili had left the café.

* * *

Steven could have talked all day with Madame LeBlanc, but eventually the critic had to make a quiet exit to ensure her comments went public. The head chef made it apparent that he would escort her out, as a show of respect for the critic. Skarmory would be joining them.

"Skarmory. Let's keep this clean," he ordered.

Skarmory let out a low cry, and followed Steven to show Madame LeBlanc to the lobby. When they arrived, Sophie was working away with taking orders and reservations, and hadn't bothered noticing Steven who had walked right past them. Laurent, though, gave Steven a wave and face that clearly read "You got this".

It was Steven's decision that Madame LeBlanc should exit through the front doors, since that was only appropriate. What Steven expected, however, was that he would have to face the media again. Microphones and cameras were down, since they were oblivious to his approach, but by the time Steven and Skarmory opened the doors to let Madame LeBlanc out, the opportunity was too hard to miss.

"That's Steven Stone!"

"Mr. Stone!"

"Monsieur Stone!"

"What are your thoughts on the accusations you've poisoned Diantha?"

Steven's face became pretty blunt. "I deny the charge that Diantha was actually poisoned. There's no evidence that it was _my_ fault."

"Yet it happened as Diantha was eating last night –"

"What about Cynthia?" another journalist jeered. "Is there something fiery between you?"

Steven could have continued to speak, but he was interrupted.

"What kind of fire?"

"Oh, of either the lovey type or the hateful type of course!"

"No! No! It's nothing like that!" Steven denied. Turning to Skarmory, he ordered him to clear the path as he showed Madame LeBlanc out, but the critic had already slipped past the crowd and was on her way. Oh, so much for escort. Now Steven would have to face the might of the media gauntlet again.

"Is it true that you shot down a helicopter this morning?"

Steven turned to glare at the person who said that.

"Whatever gave you that idea?!" he demanded.

"Morning coverage showed –"

Steven wished he hadn't asked.

"What about your food? Is it actually _safe_ for _anyone_ to eat?"

"Of course it's safe," Steven replied shortly. "My restaurant is well acclaimed and I suspect this is just a plot to destroy my reputation. If there is someone who emerges responsible, I will sue whoever. Fortunately, I created a new dish that I am now advertising for everyone in Kalos to try out."

The journalists showed signs of doubt.

"Would that happened to have been the dish that was responsible for Diantha's collapse?"

"Not in the slightest!" Steven denied. "I assure there's nothing in the dish that could have –"

"Diantha is still unconscious, rumour has it," someone else said. "Is it because you're trying to make it clear you're in a relationship with her? We know she's older than you, and you have a much better alternative across the street."

Steven only responded with a glare, and he quickly retreated into the 'safety' of his restaurant before the people had more chances to take a stab at him. For all Steven knew, he might as well be stabbed in the back. For the time being, he had to get Skarmory to clear the people away. It would help if Skarmory could shoot down one of those pesky drones or two.

Wait. He could do that!

"Skarmory, do me a favour?" he whispered, as he eyed one of the drones in the air.

It wasn't before long that one of the drones had mysteriously disappeared from the air.

* * *

With business still going at a moderate pace, Martine got to spare extra time to talk with Lisia. That is, after having cleaned up Wallace's bowl and Lisia's plate via sending them off to the kitchen, Martine rejoined their table.

"Shall I get you anything else, or are you good?" she asked. Before they could respond, Martine also presented the bill to Wallace as well, saying, "You are kind of obligated to pay the bill, _mon ami_. You have to serve the lady, and especially –"

"I know, I know," Wallace said shortly, with which only Lisia could smile.

"So we know Steven has a huge crush on that woman, right?" she said, giving Martine a nudge. "Oh gosh. Let's picture how his story will keep going!"

"And it just gets better," Martine added, slightly twirling one of her red locks as she said this. "I bet he went on a date with her this morning."

"Oh, stop daydreaming, Martine. That's wishful thinking!" Wallace jeered. "Though, I must remember to persuade him to get into that mood. He's way overdue for it."

He looked at the bill and wasn't surprised at the price he was paying. Though it cost a few ten thousand Poké, he supposed it was worth it. Steven might not appreciate his presence here, but at least he was adding some revenue for his 'best friend's' business. At the same time, his girlfriend could enjoy some food too!

Speaking of which, Winona stood up.

"Going somewhere already?" Wallace said. His eyebrows were raised.

"I have to look for Steven," Winona stated as if it was out of duty. "Don't stop me. Okay?"

"No, you can't!" Wallace looked hurt. "What will I do without you?"

Winona stared.

Wallace stared back.

"You know, that sounds more offensive to Lisia that me," Winona added slyly. Before long, she was well away from the table.

"No…! Don't leave me –"

Wallace's eyes became round as if it was the first time this had happened to him. On the other hand, he could hear the snickering of Martine Grenadine, and when he looked at her she looked like she was about to burst.

"Heheh… She got you there," Martine remarked.

She picked up the payment and handed Wallace the appropriate receipt. However, Wallace was more or less in a state of (questionable) shock, so Martine merely left the receipt on the table. After the transaction, Martine figured she could use a break now.

"So you reckon Steven went on a date with Cynthia?" Lisia questioned. She was glad she had this opportunity to talk, as she didn't need to worry about probable interruptions from her uncle. Winona was gone too, so that helped.

"I guess so, but I have no evidence," Martine replied. "He wasn't here this morning, and for good reason, but he gave me one of his usual glares you know? The glares he always gives whenever I press the issue about _her_ to him."

"So is it true?" Lisia said. "We'll never know! Not unless we force him to speak!"

Lisia saw Martine flash a smile.

"Maybe we can."

* * *

What Steven hadn't counted on either was to find Laurent being harassed by Viola and Alexa. Gosh, when would those two girls learn to let go? Laurent looked – in Steven's strict opinion – annoyed by the attention he was getting.

With Skarmory keeping the main door at bay, all Steven needed to do was flush out whoever made their way into the lobby. The media coming here once was enough, and Steven couldn't stand it a second time.

Even Alexa had time to ask him one more question before she got pushed out.

"So, Monsieur Stone, how do you reckon you can re-establish your reputation?"

Steven's answer was short.

"Whoever said it was damaged?" he replied. "Out you go."

"And how do you feel about having half of Kalos looking at your home?" Alexa started.

But his patience was exhausted. The moment Steven managed to push the last of journalists out of the lobby (especially those who came to loiter and not eat), Viola and Alexa included, he felt like he had taken a victory that should have been his last night.

Lastly, he approached the receptionists' table.

"You okay, Laurent?" Steven asked. "Need anything?"

"I'm okay, Mr. Stone," Laurent replied. "If there's anything I need, that's what Sophie is here for."

The only response Laurent got was a pair of raised eyebrows from Steven, and before Steven could even think about saying anything, he was interrupted by approaching footsteps. He turned to see Winona approaching him from behind the receptionists.

"Do you have a moment, Steven?" she asked.

"Oh, are you finished eating already, Winona?" he said back. "Something you need?"

Winona stiffened. "Well, I thought there would be something you'd be interested in. Something I should have told you days ago. It regards… Cynthia."

Steven blinked. He wasn't interested in conversations about pursuing a relationship with _her_. Hadn't that been made clear already?

"I'm afraid –"

Winona cut him off. "Plus, there's wine involved."

Suddenly, Steven's flat emotions were replaced by surprise – just for an instant – before they quickly became suspicion. Wine and Cynthia… The opportunity was too much. Could it possibly be true? Could it be that Cynthia actually –? No. Steven couldn't believe it.

"Let's talk in my office," he said, gesturing for Winona to follow.

* * *

**Cynthia's cocktail is inspired by an actual non-alcoholic drink I had. I was a simple two-layer blend that actually looked nice and pleasant to the eye. That being said, thanks for being patient! I'll have Cynthia's _sirop de grenadine_ with a layer of Pinap berry juice served to anyone leaving a review!**


	27. Serious Eyes

**You can probably blame my busy week working on an application _and_ another kitchen fire for the long upload! (My computer was down on power so I had to get that fixed).**

**Anyway, here's another chapter for your pleasure! A _sirop de grenadine_ and Pinap berry cocktail will be served to dawnleaf1234 and LEGAL-EAGLE53 to complement this chapter. Enjoy!**

**This chapter is created as a result of the positive feedback on my characters Sophie and Laurent, with some inspiration from Fire Emblem.**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-seven: Serious Eyes**_

For Sophie, being a member of the Château Fan Club had its benefits. There were plenty of Pokémon battles included with the club gatherings, which was fun, but what she most enjoyed was participating in heated arguments pertaining to who would emerge victorious in a given round. Almost every time, she and Laurent would get into heated debates over who would win or the odds of winning. At one point, they had completely embarrassed a particular challenger such that he was forced to retire.

They loved the architecture of the château as well, and if they thought it was worthy of Rischissime Stars, they would have given it at least two. As dreamy as it was, many people wouldn't agree with them, as these stars were reserved exclusively for dining, anyway.

So it came down to the following morning, exactly three weeks since the opening of Vue sur la Lune, Laurent and Sophie went to Steven's office. Business probably was impacted due to the ongoing media coverage of the restaurant, and it really wasn't busy.

That was also a good thing too, because whatever happened yesterday – or whatever was told – clearly had an impact on Steven. He showed up to the restaurant looking overwhelmed, and he was trying to cover it up with his tiredness.

But despite what had happened, James had arrived that morning to give the staff good news. The critic from the day before, Marie LeBlanc, had published a review in Lumiose Press with regards to the Stone Open. An excellent review of the dish comprehending aspects of quality and creativity were among its merits.

"…_and for this reason, perhaps the Stone Bistro ought to be worthy of a Rischissime Star, if the hotel ever chooses to stop by to award one_," James had read out. He put down the paper to face the staff, all with anticipating eyes. "Okay, that might mean that we may be facing a great deal of work tonight, so I want things ready."

"However, _le chef_ expects the day to be busier to be busier tomorrow anyway, when the review sinks in," James added. "For now, we carry on business as usual, and I'm glad to see the media has left us alone a little at last."

Now, Laurent and Sophie were across from their boss, with a desk separating them from him. Steven alone was standing around. His eyes looked tired, but Sophie could detect a sense of relief radiating from him. Well, perhaps the review did its part to lift up his spirits.

The boss eventually sat down, and pulled out what looked like a file detailing construction blueprints. Laurent sat down next, followed by Sophie.

"Is there something you need, _vous deux_?" Steven asked.

Looking at each other first, Laurent and Sophie looked back, with the latter saying, "Laurent and I have a _reeeeeeally _important meeting to go to at the Battle Château. We'd like some time off so we can do just that! Can we? Can we?"

Steven didn't look up from the blueprint file.

"I seriously doubt you can, at this point in time," he said. "Haven't you started your shift already? Why is it that you have to go together?"

Sophie eyed Laurent for a moment, whereas Laurent did the answering. "It's just that important, Mr. Stone."

"Besides, you can always go after work. Just how important is it?" Steven asked.

"Really important," Sophie quickly replied, her voice slowing becoming louder. "I'm totally serious! Look into my eyes, Mr. Stone…"

Sighing, Steven put down the file and looked up. He suddenly gulped when Sophie suddenly leaned across the desk to have her nose nearly touching his own. His eyes pretty much had no choice but to look into hers.

"These are the eyes of a serious girl," Sophie said, pointing at both of her eyes. "See it? See it?"

Steven held his breath.

"These are the eyes of a girl showing she can handle working and playing at the same time."

Did her eyes look like they were trying to pierce into his _soul_? It looked like it, because Sophie was trying really hard to look straight into him. Or was it Steven trying to look into those eyes? They looked happy, angry, and serious.

"These are the eyes of a girl who is passionate of what she knows."

Steven blinked.

"These are… SERIOUS EYES!"

Steven hung his head and clapped a hand over his eyes. Afterwards he looked up, and stood up. It wasn't before long that he had walked over to the door to show his receptionists out.

"Alright, you two have the day off," Steven said tiredly, and the response he got was a pair of delighted faces. "You'll have to come back to check on your replacement later, though. If you two slack off and don't come back here to check, I'm afraid I'll have to threaten you both with overtime."

Laurent and Sophie pinched their thumbs and index fingers together, and with very, very, wide smiles. "Okay!" they said together and soon afterwards had left the office and were on their way outside. On the way out, they approached the entrance doors and stopped at the same time, as if they were being courteous to each other.

Laurent opened the door and bowed to Sophie.

"_Tu as la dame_," he said gently. Sophie giggled and took the offer to head out first.

Steven, on the other hand, made an internal phone call to the floor above.

"Martine," he said. "You're needed at the _foyer_."

It wasn't before long that Martine Grenadine arrived ten minutes later with… Metagross. Steven shook his head upon seeing his Pokémon joining in.

"Metagross, you're needed to help the customers," Steven ordered. "Martine can take care of what's going on here herself."

"What's going on here?" Martine repeated playfully, and Steven shot Martine a glare – as usual as it may be to the redhead.

"You're taking over receptionist duty until Laurent and Sophie come back," Steven instructed. "They have business to attend to."

Steven had well expected Martine to either comply or complain (most likely the latter) but instead, he got a grin from the 19-year old.

"They're going on a date, no doubt about it," she said. "You should learn something from them, boss! You see, these are how relationships develop. You know, you start with a certain _someone_ –"

He turned away so as to not hear any more of it, because he had other things to attend to like that blueprint he was reading… Unfortunately, he could hear the evident giggling from Martine and the metallic laugh from Metagross. Even though he had gotten a good review from a critic, the impact was minimal compared to what everyone else making of him and Cynthia at this point.

With Winona supplying him the most unbelievable information ever, Steven still found it hard to believe it. Cynthia using one of his wines in a fondue? Just how was it possible? But still, perhaps this had something to do with… to do with… what happened in the wine cellar…

_I'm probably overthinking it_, Steven thought. _I better focus on more important things._

With that, Steven went back to his office to retrieve the blueprint file. Construction outside the ground floor, on the restaurant side facing the ocean, was progressive and being done faster than anticipated. While James was leading the cooks in the kitchens, Steven saw this as an opportunity to get things done.

But as it happened as he walked to the first floor where the construction project was still ongoing, Martine was simply bored and ended up making a phone call to Lisia. Well, this was the result of putting Martine on receptionist duty! Just how could Steven trust her to do it? He should have left it to James. Oh right, James was in the kitchens.

* * *

Under the clear blue skies and a majestic lake, the Battle Château stood proudly on Route 7. Given its relatively close location to Cyllage City, it served as an excellent attraction for tourists passing the route in addition to Cyllage City serving the best cuisine in the west of Kalos. For Cyllage City locals, it was conveniently close, and the grand Lumiose City was just a mere stroll away.

A Hawlucha and a Clauncher were sparring with each other a short distance away from the front of the stone building. The weather, cloudless, set the backdrop of perfect conditions.

A torrent of water shot and nearly missed Hawlucha had the wrestling Pokémon not sidestepped to avoid it. Clauncher, seeing the dodge, then went for a close range attack via smashing against Hawlucha head-on. Alas, the smash was resisted by Hawlucha holding back with equal force.

"Okay, that's enough!" the supervisor said. "There'll be plenty more battles to come round! The club comes first!"

Immediately, Hawlucha and Clauncher were recalled into their respective Poké Balls by their respective trainers. Specifically and respectively, Laurent and Sophie. Afterwards, Laurent went to Sophie to kneel in front of her, whilst taking her hand to kiss it. No doubt it was a mock play.

"That was a good battle, my duchess," Laurent said.

"You can rise, my duke," Sophie replied, and rolling her eyes.

"Alright, alright, there will be plenty of cozy time later! Club! Now!" the supervisor barked.

The Château Fan Club had assembled outside the facility. There were tables and tents set up as well as refreshments to be prepared after the club had assembled. The club had secured top-class Richissime-starred desserts for a slightly reduced price which was beneficial, but the chef had insisted it was a promotion. Plus, the chef said she would personally serve the refreshments herself.

As fans of the Battle Château, it was their obligation to know just about everything about it including who were the day's competitors. The club had assembled beside the tent, with the supervisor ensuring everyone was accounted for.

"_Assemblement! S'il vous plait!_" she shouted as everyone stood where they needed to. "Okay, so let's begin our meeting with a pop quiz! How long has the Château been around for?"

"_Quinze ans_," someone said.

"_Tu as raison_," the supervisor replied. "Okay, so let's move onto the next thing on the agenda. Does everyone have a canvas?"

Laurent turned his head to see the organisers set up canvases against the lake, with a set of palettes and paintbrushes at each one. Not needing any further instruction, the fan club moved towards getting each of their hands on a canvas. Sophie and Laurent were lucky enough to get a pair of canvases side-by-side.

"Okay, now I want all of you to paint a painting of the Battle Château with the lake included, and the best painting will get points," the supervisor instructed. "By the end of this session, whoever has the most points will be named 'Fan Château du Mois' and as a reward gets to keep the club trophy for a week. Okay? _Vous avez vingt minutes. Allez!_"

Sophie picked up her palette and brush first.

* * *

Steven had just received word from Martine that at least ten customers had dropped by, not a party, to test out the Stone Open. Pleased with this news, Steven forwarded the message to James to have the dishes prepared. As Steven was busy managing construction of the terrace, he had to get his priorities straight. The customer was important, but Steven decided his restaurant would have a bad appeal if the project was left unattended.

Metagross wasn't impressed leaving the customers either, but it had to be done. In support of construction activities, Aggron was sent to do the heavy lifting. As his Pokémon were supporting, in addition to the construction company's Pangoro, there was no need for heavy equipment. For the record, the frames were in place, and Steven predicted that at the pace they were going at – in addition to installing the material – the terrace would be nearly complete by the end of the day.

Like the restaurant itself before it, Steven had been through the legal and financial processes of construction before. It was a small gamble, but Steven predicted customers would be very happy if they could sit against the Kalos seaside. Plus, Steven might as well charge the tables there just slightly more. With the project approved by Cyllage City, the project went ahead as planned.

The flooring was just starting to take place, whereas the terrace would have a wood-framed cover to act as shade for the terrace itself, or protection from sunlight.

_You've done quite a bit already, James_, Steven thought. James clearly had been busy, and now all Steven had to do was complete the remaining half of the terrace. Overall, the terrace was flourishing, and what Steven hoped was that the rewards would come to fruition eventually.

Meanwhile, Martine came to realise the number of customers had slowed down a lot within the past hour. It was scary at first to have a rush of ten customers come in at once, and all at separate tables no less, but the storm was over. All the work now was left to the servers and cooks. Martine also hadn't had a phone call come in for a while either. She supposed it just wasn't that busy today.

She sometimes wondered how Laurent and Sophie managed to pass the time so efficiently doing a desk job. Perhaps this was how their relationship began! Oh, it was so obvious! Or, even better, they knew about it _before_ their relationship started! They were going on a date, after all!

_Perhaps the boss and _her_ ought to get a desk job together_, Martine thought. _Now that's wishful thinking._

Overall, she was bored. But Martine's thoughts were interrupted by the approaching footsteps of… none other than Lisia.

"Hi, friend!" Lisia greeted happily, while slapping a hand on the counter. Martine looked up, and grinned.

"Winona and Wallace not with you _aujourd'hui_?" Martine asked.

"That's right. They went over to Vue sur la Lune for lunch," Lisia said. "Say, have you heard anything from your boss lately?"

Martine's eyes glinted. Finally. Something to talk about.

"Didn't you say yesterday we could try forcing him to speak?" she said, grinning. "Unfortunately, _mon amie_, he is very, very, busy and has no time today. Plus, I can't do anything while I'm behind this desk."

"That's why I thought we could try making the woman speak," Lisia suggested. "When you have time, let's go over there and force her to speak! Plus, my uncle is there, so we have all the backup we need, _oui?_"

Martine smiled. Evilly. "_Oui_."

* * *

"Okay, we're done," the supervisor said. "Brushes down, now!"

Sophie and Laurent finished their paintings almost simultaneously, but when they had a good look at each other's' work, they were silenced. Apart from Sophie using a midnight blue background with stars and Laurent using a sunset orange with darkened clouds, the angles they painted of the château were near identical.

Even their fellow club members, who were skimming over everyone's work, could notice the similarities.

"Did the two of you work on these together?" someone asked. "Because they certainly look the same!"

It had taken not a long time for the club organisers went around to evaluate each painting. Walking along with clipboards in hand, they took about three minutes per painting to determine scores. However, the lone exception was when they got to Sophie and Laurent's paintings.

"Can you explain, you two, why these paintings look exactly the same?" the supervisor questioned.

Laurent shrugged, but Sophie answered, "That's what happens when you're the most devoted fans of the Battle Château. Our paintings are so perfect that we made identical ones, right?"

The supervisor looked at Sophie questionably, but Sophie leaned closer to her face, saying, "I'm totally serious! See that? See that? These are the eyes of a serious painter."

Laurent was speechless, and so was the supervisor.

"These are the eyes of a fan showing her passion for the château."

The supervisor drew a flat smile.

"These are… SERIOUS EYES!"

It looked like there was a staring contest going on, at least to Sophie.

"Grrrr…" Sophie's eyes began to turn red. "I'm not – gonna – blink –!"

"The only thing serious here is you're getting in the way of the evaluation, Sophie," she replied. "Stand aside, _s'il vous plait_."

Laurent hung his head with a grin, and although Sophie shot Laurent a hurt face, the evaluation was done in minutes. Seconds later, Sophie shook Laurent's shoulder.

"_Tu n'es pas m'aider, Laurent_," she said, frustrated and pulling a bit of hair behind her ear.

"_Je m'excuse_," Laurent replied. "Let's just go to the next event. What was it again? Ah yes, the matches are going to start. We need to go in now, Sophie."

The entire club seemed in agreement, but the supervisor and the organisers weren't letting them off that easily. Before anyone could make a move, they had the paintings evaluated and over with. Scores were taped on the side of each painting.

"They're marked out of ten," Sophie remarked. "We… have the same scores, my friend."

Laurent wasn't surprised. For two paintings that coincidentally happened to be near identical, save for a different colour of sky and water, it seemed appropriate to award the same score of _huit_. Instead, he drew his attention to the Battle Château itself. Perhaps there would be more points to gather once the matches began.

Speaking of which, their points, compared to the others, meant that the two of them were tied for the lead with about a few others. However, that wasn't the only thing that caught their attention. Everyone was having a good look at the near identical paintings.

"One would think they were made for each other," someone whispered.

"Oh, be quiet," Sophie snapped.

"Be quiet is right!" the supervisor barked. "Consider our next event for points! Head to the tables, now! I want everyone to draw a map of the entire château's interior, and we'll give points for the best one!"

Pencils, erasers, and rulers had been generously supplied by the fan club as they were laid out in piles on the tables. Quickly, everyone got to work, as they had a limited amount of time on the clock. Something like twenty minutes. Whilst Sophie started preliminary sketching, Laurent stared at the paper as if visualising what he was going to do.

* * *

**Don't you just love how _intense_ Sophie's eyes are? With all the construction going on and a kitchen fire to clean up, I'm afraid there will be nothing much served this chapter. However, I'm sure you've had your fill from previous chapters! Have a cup of tea as you wait for the next one. Favourite, follow, or review. They are much appreciated!**


	28. Accidentally' Leaked Secrets

**I must admit that the remaining part of summer has been pretty harsh on me for reasons you probably will not need to know about. I sometimes worry of that will have an impact on the standard of my writing! Oh gosh... It's been hectic. As I'm now returning to work and school, my writing time will probably decrease as well, eh.**

**But anyway, I hope your patience will be rewarded with another chapter! For LEGAL-EAGLE53, and the two honoured guests, here's a cup of tea!**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-eight: 'Accidentally' Leaked Secrets **_

Wallace already took the initiative by the time he had gotten into Cynthia's café. With apparent knowledge of Steven having a copy of the 'Apples and Oranges' magazine, things just couldn't get more obvious, couldn't it?

With Winona across from him, the two of them were sitting together enjoying a couple of unique smoothies. On Winona's side, she had a blueberry smoothie with a load of crushed ice. On Wallace's side… a peculiar smoothie made with a blend of chocolate and vegetables. Just by the sound of it made Winona lose a bit of her appetite.

"I can't see how you can enjoy that, Wallace," she remarked, but couldn't bring herself to look at the 'unappetizing' smoothie.

"Don't worry, dear," Wallace cooed, forcing Winona to raise an eyebrow. "It may not sound appetizing, but on the plus side, I get a meal out of it and the taste is excellent! Look, even Milotic agrees!"

Speaking of which, Wallace did have Milotic curled beside him, but instantly perked at the prospect of having a sip of that chocolate blend. As the smoothie had a straw, drinking from it was made easy. Milotic nodded in approval after she had her fill of chocolate-vegetable blend.

"See?" Wallace said proudly, but Winona bowed her head to quiet sip from her own smoothie.

_Now that reminds me of old times…_ she thought. This led her to wonder just what kind of a boyfriend she had landed with.

However, before Winona could continue to wander off into her thoughts, she was distracted by an approaching Martine and Lisia. The two of them were chatting away, but in such a manner that suggested they were plotting something terrible – something drastic.

"If he won't talk, then we'll have to make her talk," Lisia said.

"Agreed," Martine approved.

Wallace looked like he had found real friends (as if Winona didn't count as 'real'!) at last, in his niece and apparently his niece's new friend. The redhead, her hair as red as _sirop de grenadine_, looked at him first.

"What are you doing here, my dears?" he greeted.

The answer from Lisia was almost immediate. "We are going to push Cynthia on the details that she went on a date with Steven. Come on, uncle! This is an opportunity to help your best friend. He really did go on a date with her, uncle. He really did!"

Winona rolled her eyes, but she showed the similar interest of wanting to know the details too. She had to keep her profile low, so as to not distract her boyfriend, but had her ears open. Wallace alone looked unconvinced, but he didn't object to Lisia and Martine to try to get it done. The two girls didn't sit and instead went to the counter to talk to the barista.

Within moments, after a phone call, Cynthia appeared in the café via the staff doors leading from the main restaurant. She showed mild surprise upon seeing the group gathered in her café, and was wearing a black chef jacket as she approached them.

"Hello," she greeted coolly. Noticing Martine, she smiled. "I'm surprised your restaurant wasn't closed down by the health inspector yet. Didn't you get the memo? Especially what had happened with Diantha, you know."

Martine bowed her head with a scoff. "Nonsense! We haven't even gotten word of what went wrong with Diantha! The doctors only said it was an allergic reaction, but we don't know from what!"

Lisia nudged Martine, as if to knock some sense into her. Martine subsequently complied.

"That's not why we're here, Cynthia," Lisia boldly said, as she attempted to look at her in the eye. "What we are here for is what you did yesterday morning. Tell us! What did you do this morning?"

Cynthia didn't look like she was in the mood to talk about this and – though her face turned a shade of pink like she was trying to vent out her anger at the annoyance – started to walk away without replying. What they were demanding from her was more intimidating than ever.

Unfortunately, she was instantly stopped by Martine's firm grip as the 19-year old redhead pulled up a chair for her to sit on. Cynthia had no choice. She was pushed to sit down! And face Wallace, no less. "My dear," he said, "these are things we have to talk about. How long have you been doing this?"

Cynthia refused to look at him and turned her head away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

But even more surprising was that she felt a hand on her chin pulling her head to look back. Her hair indeed was still covering her left eye as usual, but even her right eye alone displayed her annoyance. Her right eye, to be exact, stared into Martine's eyes. Martine's serious eyes.

"_Parlez_," Martine's voice was as if it was to intimidate. "Or we make you!"

Those serious eyes… looked serious?

But to Martine's exasperation, Cynthia rolled her eyes. "And just what are you getting out of this, dear? There's nothing to benefit –"

"Do you hate Steven?" Martine piped, whilst clapping her hands together.

Cynthia's face grew red, so she used her hair to hide half of it. Looking away, she shot back, "I don't _hate_ him. He may have cut off my supplies, as Wallace told me. He might have poisoned Diantha. But, he does have good cheeses, so I can credit him –"

"Your face is red like you're angry _mais tu ne déteste pas lui_?" Martine interrupted. "Oh the irony, Cynthia!"

As if Cynthia had wanted to make a comeback, she couldn't because Lisia was staring at her. "Oh, so he shared some cheese with you? That's super romantic. Where were you two? Somewhere close by? Was there a sunset? Were you comfortable with him? Especially the cheeses?"

"Yes – No!" Cynthia was flustered. "I'm talking about that time when he hosted a wedding…"

But Cynthia's words trailed off, as she found Martine and Lisia had quite literally trapped her with her own words.

"Oh, so you _did_ go somewhere with him today!" Martine declared, openly clapping her hands in excitement at the same time. "Well then, answer Lisia! You two must have had a moment, _oui_? Well? Did you have one?"

Cynthia looked like on the verge of boiling. Her breathing was short, as if her coolness had suddenly been vaporised into non-existence, like steam!

"No, no!" Cynthia shouted, such that she caught the attention of the barista (that is, Henri) before the latter turned his attention to preparing more coffee with a smirk. "It's nothing like that!" Cynthia added. "We had nothing going on! Did you know that –?"

But she was stopped short when Martine and Lisia were staring back at her, with identical smiles. Cynthia decided that it was pointless at this point to try to lose the topic. However, she had to find a way to hold them off, but how?!

"Let's see…" Lisia said, as if she was deep in thought. "Oh, you two probably had a picnic, right? I can imagine it…"

But Martine held up a hand for Lisia's silence, in which she added, "Oh I can see it. The two of you, sitting together on a picnic blanket just eating happily _together_. Oh! It must have been special especially for you!"

"I like your thinking, my friend," Lisia said cheerfully. She held up her hands as if making a picture frame. "You both sat down together like a couple!"

Cynthia didn't know what to make of the scenario. As much as she tried to cover it, the picnic part of it, Lisia seemed to have guessed the truth.

Wallace turned to look at Winona, with his grin looking like he had scored a triumphant win of some sort. "It looks like my niece and I may not be the only ones who are excited about this. Admit it, dear, you know you're excited too." Indeed, Winona was keen, but she sort of disagreed with this kind of behaviour from Lisia, as if Lisia was the living reincarnation of her uncle.

"_Bien_," Martine remarked. "We are done here."

"_Je m'excuse_," Cynthia muttered. "I have to go."

For Cynthia's part, she bowed her head and took away Wallace's chocolate-vegetable smoothie and walked away, taking huge gulps of the smoothie as she did. Wallace nodded his head like this was bound to happen, because he was pretty satisfied with how things were turning out. It looked like Cynthia was going to leave the building, as if to meet a certain _someone_.

To mark the occasion, he helped himself to Winona's blueberry smoothie with crushed ice, but –

"That's mine!" Winona cried, slapping Wallace's hand away.

"My dear –"

"Don't you 'my dear' me!" Winona retorted. "You can't just take my smoothie away like it's yours! You bought it for me!"

With that said, Winona took her glass and sipped it quickly like she was in a rush. However, she started to feel her head pound with pain as she started to feel really cold. Was it because she was drinking the smoothie too quickly?

Eventually, tears started to form in her eyes.

On the other hand, Lisia and Martine were not done with Cynthia. Only after Cynthia had a few moments respite, they came back to pursue. As Cynthia was about to head out the door, the two girls blocked the door.

"So tell us, Cynthia. What did you eat at that time?" Martine asked, but she held up a hand. "Oh, and did you feed him? What did you eat?"

"He must have fed you too!" Lisia said.

But Cynthia had enough. Exasperated, she pushed the two girls out of her way and stormed outside, but not before slamming the door on them. Afterwards, Martine and Lisia shared a laugh that shook the premises of Vue sur la Lune to its very core. Wallace joined in the laugh too.

"You see, my dear? That's how the world works," he said to Winona.

As for the barista – that is, Henri – he shared a chuckle as he continued preparing fresh coffee. Quietly, he poured two mugs and went over to where Wallace and Winona were sitting.

"I haven't had a good laugh for a while around here," he said, placing the cups on the table. "These two are on me."

"_Merci beaucoup_," Wallace thanked. Right when he picked up his mug, Winona's tears caught his attention. Indeed, she was still crying after downing her own smoothie in one go. Her hands were on her face and she was shaking from crying. Wallace, grinning, pulled his chair closer to her and put his free arm around her shoulder. "There, there. You didn't have to go finish it yourself. I could have finished it for you."

Sure enough, Lisia took the coffee mug intended for Winona and drank it herself, which sort of annoyed her uncle. However, Wallace instantly smiled when she spit out the mouthful of coffee back into the mug.

"Ew! Uncle! This doesn't taste like coffee!" Lisia complained. "It's so strong!"

"I don't drink my coffee without cream or sugar, Lisia," Wallace replied, with his smile unfaltering. "You see, this is what happens when you overreact."

Lisia looked closely at the coffee she attempted to drink, and her uncle was right. The coffee was black, with no hint of cream, milk, or sugar for that matter.

Martine began to walk to the door. Turning her head and smiling, she said, "My boss will probably suspend my pay if he finds out I walked away from work. I'll catch you three later!" After that, she bolted outside across the street, and fixing her vest at the same time.

* * *

"_Mesdames et Messieurs_, we regret to inform you that our Grand Duchess Diantha will not be attending today's session of the Battle Château, as she is victim to some undisclosed circumstances," the host said at the foyer. "I'm afraid she will have to appear at another time, but without further ado, please come in."

Hawlucha and Clauncher, belonging to Laurent and Sophie respectively, followed their companions into the hallways. However, as the fan club had no agenda to participate, no one in the club could battle. However, that didn't stop them from walking into the château itself to watch.

At the end of the mapmaking competition, Sophie had drawn the slightly better map than Laurent did. But that was mostly skewed by Laurent's constant focusing on the tiny details like adding houseplants and tables – such that he sort of missed the point. All in all, they both made good maps and received points to the trophy.

Furthermore, there were a few more gruelling challenges presented by the organisers to the fans – including a multiple choice test that had every _second question_ count as double points towards the trophy also. In the end, it boiled down to watching the competition inside and battling with whoever was willing to battle. The club had generously supplied writs of invitation to all members, so everyone could be granted entry. As the club put it, the members who could record the most number of wins and explored rooms would be awarded most points towards the standings. The trophy would be presented after, and refreshments would be served.

As it happened, neither Laurent nor Sophie had their share of wins, separately. Given this was a free-for-all, they figured it would be easier to split up to collect points and wins on their own. If they stuck together, only one of them would get points between battles. Plus, Laurent knew that Sophie was ahead of him in points!

_Well, if only they knew – Actually, they do know. That night when Diantha just suddenly collapsed in front of everyone_, Laurent thought. _Everyone knows what happened! No thanks to the media!_

"I'll see you later, my duke," Sophie said, walking away to a different room whilst giving Laurent a wink.

Laurent noticed, and he smiled upon seeing those eyes of hers. Just how could he tell when they were serious or not? He walked forward to enter one of the many hallways which led to different rooms.

Of one of the rooms – a dining hall, to be exact – Laurent encountered a trainer who supposedly had the title of 'Marquis'. Knowing the rules and without need for introduction, Laurent had Hawlucha ready for combat, whereas his opponent sent out an Aerodactyl.

"_Comment allez-vous aujourd'hui_?" Laurent greeted.

"_Bien_," his opponent replied. "_Nous nous battons maintenant, oui?_"

Feeling excited already, Laurent made the first move. Hawlucha was already up and running towards the Aerodactyl and hitting it with a Karate Chop. While Hawlucha acted fast, Aerodactyl made a quick reaction with a Wing Attack. The clash of both Pokémon making contact at the same time shook the walls around them.

* * *

The Damp Rock that Steven Stone had extracted from Route 10 was currently in the Stone Bistro's museum, but hadn't been put on display yet. Yet Steven had no time to attend to such matters as the terrace he and James were building was entering the penultimate phase. This included safety inspections.

He could smell the familiar aroma of the Stone Open in the air. Dishes were being served out to customers whom Steven supposed had read the review by Madame LeBlanc. As such, Steven was absolutely fine with it. The spice of Tamato berry, the aroma of LaBrie…

As business carried on as usual for the lunch hour at the Stone Restaurant and Bistro, the groundwork and basic framing was done. The flooring was in place and set, with beautiful barriers separating the terrace from the grand ocean view just adjacent to the tables. To Steven, it was majestic to be standing so close to the ocean combined with the comfort of a restaurant terrace. For him and James, this idea was certainly worth investing, and now it seemed to have the full potential to pay off.

Aggron finished adding the final piece of bolts and nails, and also witnessed the finalisation of the stone frames built with steel. With this kind of material and design, along with a cover and sturdy umbrellas, not even a thunderstorm could destroy this terrace.

"Just one more day and we're in business," Steven remarked. "Well done, guys. You too, Aggron."

Truth be told, anyone could remark that the terrace looked magnificent. The construction crew had finally left after the utilities, which included water, lighting, and heating, were in place. With a server's podium nearby, and doors leading to the first floor of the restaurant, everything was in order.

Satisfied, Steven walked back into his workplace. The project was done, so he had to make preparations to have it open to the public. Perhaps heading into his office to make arrangements for promotions was in order. He walked by the customers who almost all had a serving of the Stone Open. Although it was a relatively not-busy day, seeing these customers here was enough for Steven.

He did have to check up on Martine to see how she was doing too. With Laurent and Sophie on leave, he had to ensure his youngest and most energetic worker was holding well. The foyer was already in sight, and Steven only needed to walk in to see the elongated desk that supposed to welcome the customers.

But what Steven was met with was a group of none other than reporters.

"Oh hey, it's Steven Stone!" someone said. "Monsieur Stone! Is it true you shot down a helicopter?!"

"What about Diantha now? Is your food still safe to eat?"

"But what about that new dish you created, whom Madame LeBlanc tried? Where did that come from?"

Metagross happened to pass by on the way to the kitchens to retrieve more dishes from the staff, but Steven motioned Metagross to stop by. He wrote down a note (to inform James of the safety inspection) before giving it to his Pokémon, whereas his companion echoed a low sound of laughter, but took the note anyway and went ahead to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Steven turned his attention back to the media.

"Okay," he said, whilst straightening himself, "let's just say that the helicopter incident was purely accidental. No harm was intended. As for my food, I can assure everyone that there is a reason why the Stone Restaurant and Bistro has one Richissime Star to its name. It is a first-class restaurant, and it would be so because of our priority to ensure the safety of our customers, which includes being sanitary. As for that new dish, I must insist that everyone in Cyllage City try it. It is a wonder how I managed to create it too, but in the end, I think it is worth another Richissime Star as stated in the review. Madame LeBlanc was very well pleased with the dish herself."

"But Diantha is still in hospital! How would you respond to that?!"

"I will…" Steven trailed off, thinking and choosing his words carefully. In truth, he would have to apologise to her, but he wondered how the media would treat that. It would be embarrassing for him. "I will have to check up on her when I have the time, when I'm not busy, and certainly not when I have crowds of people trying to check on my every movement."

That seemed like a good enough response.

"Rumour has it that this was a mere plot by you to reinforce your love to Cynthia, across the street. What do you make of that? Especially when it just so happened to be in front of her that night?"

Whatever coolness Steven had had instantly evaporated, and the burning heat of both anger and embarrassment took its place.

"It's nothing like that!" he denied. "However, if you are interested in the new dish, I must insist you try it out yourselves."

"That doesn't answer the question, Monsieur Stone! You can do better than that! Tell us! What is it with you and Cynthia these days?"

"You must have been seeing her in secret, I bet! Right?"

"Have you heard from Diantha yet?"

Steven tried his best to keep a professional face, but it was starting to tire after the barrage of questions. "No, I have not been seeing Cynthia at all. I'll visit Diantha whenever I have the time, but as I've said I certainly won't have it when people like you are interrupting my workplace."

After saying that, a few optimistic reporters left for the door as if they had ideas of where to go next. To see Diantha, no doubt, but that wasn't Steven's business yet. As well, Steven took the opportunity to push the crowd out.

"The restaurant is currently undergoing an improvement project right now, so if you're not staying to eat, then I suggest you leave, _s'il vous plait_," Steven directed.

"A tasty dish, eh? We'll have to see what Madame LeBlanc wrote in her review –"

Steven managed to push the crowd out the door on his own. Sure, it didn't help that he had no Pokémon to support him, with Metagross seeing to the tables and Aggron still helping out with construction, but he managed. Happy with the quieting atmosphere, Steven turned around to meet up with James, as the safety inspectors were due to arrive soon.

Somehow. _Somehow_. Martine Grenadine was directly in front of him, and walking to the desk.

"Martine!" Steven yelled.

The 19-year old waitress stopped suddenly, and then stiffly turned around to face him. "Y – yes, boss?" she replied, although her face was caught in the middle of cheer and terror. The curls of her red hair in front were messy, but she seemed… happy somehow.

"Where have you been?" Steven asked. "Why aren't you at the desk? You're supposed to be managing reception!"

But something in Martine's lips, with that dangerously suspicious smile, told him that she had done something terrible for him. Sure, Steven had no way of proving that, but he had a really bad feeling about this. After all, Martine had been giving him similar treatment ever since Cynthia took up shop across the street.

Cynthia. That must be it!

"Okay, just what did you do say to her just now?" he demanded.

"Boss," Martine replied, and flicking some of her red hair as if to annoy him, "I've been at the desk for as long as I can remember. If anything happened, you would hear from Sophie, right? Well, she is on a _date_. You should consider it. Come on, I have to walk around a bit too, you know!"

_I have a bad feeling about this_, Steven thought.

As if Steven wanted to say something more, but sadly it wasn't possible due to incoming visitors who had walked into the lobby. Martine went over to greet them, as per receptionist duty, and then she notified Steven that they were here on construction business. They were the expected safety inspectors.

Within minutes, Steven led the inspectors to meet James at the completed terrace, whereas Martine remained seated at the receptionist desk. By the time her boss had left the foyer, Martine broke down into an uncontrollable series of laughs.

"You went on a picnic together with her…" she whispered to herself excitedly. "Oh gosh, I would burst if I heard you admit that! You have to let us know what happened…" For a moment, Martine entered a fantasy where she saw her boss and his pretty rival sitting together on a picnic blanket. They shared a meal together, up close, and exchanged food. They would even feed each other like they were genuinely in a relationship!

* * *

**I'll be honest, this chapter is partly a filler chapter as I'm considering how I'm going to organise the next one or two. But it helps that Martine and Lisia know _something..._**

**Have a cold serving of chocolate-vegatable smoothie if you should review! But hey, if it's produced from Cynthia's restaurant, then there's no harm, right?**


	29. These Eyes are Serious

**Due to Culinary Rivals (yes, THIS story) reaching a record number of views for me in two weeks ago (a combined 339 views, and that doesn't count the days after!) I decided to _try_ to a new chapter uploaded immediately. Unfortunately, work and school does pay a price. But hey! I'm uploading a chapter in two weeks! That's better than the past once-a-month chapter upload!**

**Therefore... This is a rapid update!**

**For SelfiesWithSprinkles, LEGAL-EAGLE53, the three honoured Guests, and TolazytosignIN (well, I'd be interested in knowing your account name), **

**LEGAL-EAGLE53: your concerns are taken into consideration. Also, there is one thing I'd like to point out regarding "_nous nous_". In French, there is a certain preposition which must be accompanied with subjects and certain verbs. In the case of the word se _battre_, it must have the preposition _je me, tu te, il/elle se, nous nous, vous vous, _or_ ils/elles se_. Otherwise, the word _se battre_ would never make sense.**

**For the Guests: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Here's this rapid update!**

**TolazytosignIN: am I really a lady...?**

* * *

_**Chapter twenty-nine: These Eyes are Serious**_

The fateful encounter, inevitably, happened. In the Great Hall, Laurent ran into his friend, Sophie. A standoff ensued with Hawlucha and Clauncher locked in a battle of somewhat impressive proportions.

In the end, it came down to strikes of equal force between the two Pokémon. The two co-workers once in a while locked into each other's' serious eyes before they focused on beating each other again. Throughout the battle, Hawlucha and Clauncher exchanged blows as they passed each other.

"You've gotten better, _mon amie_!" Laurent complimented.

"You've gotten worse, _mon ami_!" Sophie fired back.

With a smirk, Laurent ordered Hawlucha to take it to the air for an airborne assault, but was in for a surprise when Clauncher merely hopped _forward_ to outflank Hawlucha. All of sudden, Clauncher shot a punishing blast of water against Hawlucha's back before the latter had a chance to land. By the time Hawlucha had landed, he could barely stand.

In short, Laurent blinked before he realised what had happened.

"You – you –!" he stuttered, in which this earned a smile from Sophie. "Hawlucha! Keep at it! We can still win this! Pull it together!"

"No you don't!" Sophie shot back, except that she suddenly felt the whiff of uncertainty when Hawlucha somehow managed to flawlessly evade the next attack from Clauncher despite barely standing. It felt like Hawlucha had, in some sense, regained some fighting spirit.

And at some point, he managed to outflank Clauncher _again_ and prepared to deliver what would look like the final blow –

"_ARRÊTEZ!_" a voice shouted. "The clock is up! We have no time left! Stop battling, _maintenant!_"

In that instant, Hawlucha had no choice but to stop the attack. It took some effort to halt, and as a result he collapsed on the ground. Laurent looked quite disappointed that he couldn't finish the battle – at the last second no less.

So it ended up with Hawlucha unable to finish Clauncher off. Hawlucha, hanging his head in disappointment, walked back to retreat to Laurent. Subsequently, Laurent and Sophie recalled their Pokémon into their Poké Balls before the two of them met up face-to-face.

"You did well there," Sophie commented.

She extended a kiss to Laurent's cheek, pressing her lips against them. Laurent, on the other hand, felt reluctant to reply, but he returned the kiss on Sophie's cheek after.

"You weren't so bad yourself," he said finally, with a small smile. Was that a shade of pink on Sophie's cheek? She must have been exhausted from the battle.

Afterwards, he and Sophie followed the usher through several other rooms of the château where apparent battles had been stopped. It wasn't before long that the two co-receptionists were in the foyer of the building, where plenty of others from the fan club had gathered to see the supervisor.

_I just hope I got enough points_, Laurent thought. If he managed to beat enough opponents during the session, and certainly faster than Sophie, he just might get a good shot at winning the trophy. Unfortunately, that would depend if he managed to beat more opponents than Sophie, of course.

Everyone was standing, since there were no seats in the foyer (nor was the Battle Château prepared to accommodate tens of seats in the first place).

"Well done. Well done," the supervisor commented, with her voice unusually quieter than it normally was. "In light of the completion of today's writs, this marks the finale of today's fan club session, and hence I am proud to present the club trophy…"

In an instant, everyone's eyes swarmed around for the trophy, as if it were nearby. As it happened, the trophy – a metal replica of the Battle Château with a glass exterior on a pedestal – was being brought in by fellow club staff; two, to be specific. At once, Laurent and Sophie became excited to even _see_ the club trophy.

Whispers could be heard all around as the trophy was settled on a table beside the supervisor.

"Ooh, Laurent," Sophie whispered. "This better be good!"

"And to make this meeting special, the club trophy will be presented by the honourable earl Royan," the supervisor added, inviting the said earl to stand beside her. While the supervisor herself normally did the honours, this was different. To be presented the trophy by one of the earls, and a particularly popular one come to that, was a special honour. It also helped that he was practically fangirled by everyone in the Château Fan Club, so this made things super tense.

After Royan had taken position, the supervisor cleared her throat. "Okay, so now we have the results of today's session, and therefore the winner will be the one who has accumulated the most points from our activities!" she announced. As it happened, a fellow staff member handed the supervisor an envelope.

At once, Laurent and Sophie held their breath. Between them, it was fine if they didn't win under normal circumstances, but to have the trophy presented by an earl, Royan no less, was a special honour. This was certainly something they wouldn't want to miss out on.

"_Le voila_," she said, opening the envelope. "And… after all the events we've had in today's session, before I announce the winner, I would like to thank all of you for attending the session. Now, without further –" She opened the envelope to read the chart. "– our winner… is Sophie!"

Laurent's heart sunk.

* * *

It wasn't as if Steven had forgotten about Winona telling him about Cynthia stealing his wines, but he couldn't believe it. But then again, that was a possible explanation of how he had missing wines, despite the shipping invoice saying things were in order. How was he going to deal with this now? He had no evidence, but it did make things suspicious. Perhaps he ought to pay Diantha a visit just in case…

Aggron put a paw on Steven's shoulder as if to congratulate him, which brought Steven back to his senses.

"Ah yes, well done, Aggron," Steven said. "Well, so we've finally done it, eh? The terrace looks very nice too." Indeed, the terrace looked as cozy and comfortable as it could be, and it helped that there was the view of the glittering Kalos coast that complimented the terrace perfectly. Steven wondered

It sometimes worried Steven after all that had happened so far. If anything, he was going to need more information. Plus, he still owed Diantha a proper apology. With the terrace clear of safety inspections, it seemed like now was a good time to do that.

"I'll leave the restaurant into your hands for the time being," Steven said.

"_Oui_, chef," James replied. "Where are you off to, may I ask?"

"Uh…" Steven muttered. "The Pokémon Centre."

Without further ado, Steven was out of the Stone Restaurant and Bistro. With his cook jacket removed and stored in his office, he was prepared to stop by in his usual attire (a suit, basically). But before heading out, he took time to head to his kitchen to prepare something.

On the way out, he completely ignored Martine's questions – questions that pertained to where he was going of course. Even so, the sticking points she said included claiming he was off to meet up with Cynthia in secret. The reaction Martine got was another death glare, but Martine was so used to it by now that she even took it as a sign of affection for Cynthia!

"Booooossss!" she shouted. "Who's the gift for? Oh! Is it for Cynthia?"

But Steven completely ignored her again.

* * *

Even after the trophy presentation by the popular baron, Sophie could tell Laurent was feeling somehow _bitter_. As she carried the club trophy with her (with a stern warning from the supervisor to have it returned in a week), she and Laurent walked in silence back to the club tents where refreshments were being served.

For the most part, Sophie was smiling the entire way through, and Laurent had that vibe of… sadness? He looked emotionless, for sure, but it looked like the life had been drained out of him. In addition, Laurent kept his head down, like he was very disappointed.

"Come on, Laurent! Don't be such a stick in the mud!" she said, giving her co-worker a light nudge with her shoulder, as both her hands were holding the trophy. "Come on, I know you're happy. Right? Right? Right?"

Laurent sighed, which earned a laugh from Sophie. "You know, Sophie," he said. "That sounds exactly like something Martine would only say."

"Aw… Laurent, don't tell me you're jealous?" Sophie nudged him again. "At least you get to see the trophy up close. Heck, I'll even let you hold onto it! But before we even do that… I want to get some things from the club. I'm craving dessert, so let's celebrate together."

"I'm not in the mood," he replied.

"But you know, I'm in the mood for buying a few things at least…"

Laurent turned his head to look into Sophie's eyes, and suddenly felt that something was suspicious of her. It was like… she had this suspicious innocence she was trying to communicate. As they approached the tables, they could see plenty of merchandise for sale, and it was then Laurent made the connection with Sophie's behaviour and the merchandise.

"Wait, Sophie, did you even remember to bring _any_ money, with you?" he asked sharply.

But instead of replying, Sophie thrust the trophy into Laurent's hands before running to the tables to examine the merchandise. Jewelry, fan hats, posters, and even full-bodied costumes fit for any duke or duchess were up for sale. Whilst Sophie eagerly looked at each item, Laurent stood where he was awkwardly holding the club trophy. He would be anything that Sophie had forgotten to bring money with her.

Still after, Laurent watched Sophie pick up posters and look at them; each one showing a different perspective of the Battle Château. As well, they were coloured in different times of the day. One showed a blazing sunset, and another showed a crystal clear sunrise.

Afterwards, Laurent watched what seemed to be an argument between Sophie and the clerk. On one hand, Sophie was clutching the posters and on the other hand, the clerk seemed intent on seizing them back. Sighing, Laurent approached the scene to listen in and, evidently, there was a dispute.

"_Cette fille ne paiera pas_," the clerk said.

"I'm sorry," Laurent replied, dragging Sophie away with one hand to the side. When they were somewhat further away, Laurent stared at her in the eyes. "_Que fais-tu_?! Let me guess, you didn't bring any money, did you?!"

"But Laurent…" Sophie pouted, flashing her eyelids at him, "I might have forgotten, but I really need these posters! And those earrings! And that necklace! Laurent, _pleeeeeaaaaase?_"

"No," Laurent's response was short.

"But I'm totally serious!" Sophie pouted again, this time is was a whine, and brought her face closer to Laurent's. "See that?! See it?! These eyes are serious! These are the eyes of serious fan."

Laurent stayed silent.

"These are the eyes of a girl who simply needs this stuff!"

More silence.

"These are… SERIOUS EYES!" Sophie added, and not to mention trying to charm Laurent at the same time.

* * *

Soon enough, Sophie left the table a happy girl. With her arms full of posters, bracelets, and as well as a fan hat, Sophie looked just like the Battle Château fan she made out to be, hence the fan club. Plus, it helped that she was the recipient of the club trophy.

But Laurent… Poor Laurent had to carry the trophy and as well as a lighter wallet. Sophie just had to make him spend, didn't she? At least on the plus side, Sophie was happy.

Soon enough, they were seated at one of the free tables in anticipation of the promised refreshments. The club trophy was placed on the table in front of Sophie, with her purchased goods close by.

"I can't believe I just bought all this for you…" Laurent said as if it were a complaint.

"But it was well worth it, wasn't it?" Sophie replied. "Oh! Look! It's the chef! It's –"

Her words stopped dead and her expression froze. Curious at that, Laurent turned his head around to look at where the chef was supposed to be preparing food for the club. So far, there was only one person there managing an entire outdoor kitchen. Laurent's eyes had widened.

Cynthia.

"So yes, please welcome our special guest," the supervisor announced. "If you are joining us for refreshments, that is. Tasty desserts will certainly be the highlight of today's end-of-session. I present to you, the head chef of Vue sur la Lune, Cynthia!"

Instantly, a round of applause was given to the said chef. Cynthia, dressed in a white cooking jacket, simply waved at everyone in front of her before she turned her attention to the food in front of her. First, she preheated an oven conveniently set up behind her, whereas Cynthia herself began making something of a chocolate-like batter.

Meanwhile, Sophie leaned closer to Laurent, whispering, "You don't suppose we could bring one of those – whatever she's making – back? I'd love to try two of them!"

"Well, we'll just have to see, won't we?" Laurent added, smiling.

Cynthia in the meantime began shaping the batter into cakes for everyone to see – which almost certainly looked like brownies, and it wasn't before long that they were placed in the oven too. Within moments, the familiar aroma of cocoa could be smelt everywhere. Truth be told, anyone would have been attracted to the smell.

Afterwards, Cynthia took the liberty of cleaning up her work station and whatever else was necessary as the brownies were being cooked and baked. Within minutes, she had everything cleaned up and then she took out an abnormally huge bucket of ice cream.

* * *

It happened somehow that Steven managed to sneak into the local Pokémon Centre _unnoticed_ when there were plenty of others who were trying to get in to see Diantha. Thankfully, as it happened, only a fraction of them were paparazzi.

Only the nurses were surprised at the unannounced appearance of the Stone Bistro's head chef. Nevertheless, Steven was allowed in by all means. He found Diantha in her respective hospital ward in the end, where she looked much better than before, two days ago. Diantha was sitting upright on the bed and was reading a magazine.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Steven asked, as he opened the door.

Diantha put down her magazine to look at Steven. At first, she was surprised at his spontaneous appearance, but she was nevertheless smiling as if greeting an old friend. It appeared she was happy to have any visitors at all.

"Of course," she replied. "You're always welcome to visit, and it's much better than having crowds trying to score a picture of me. Besides, how did you get in here?"

Steven bowed his head. "You don't even want to know, but I called in a favour from my Pokémon. That's enough said."

Closing the door behind him, Steven walked over to pull up a nearby seat beside the bed. As he sat, Diantha noticed he had a basket with him as he went in – which had a selection of fruits and cheese. Almost immediately, Diantha blushed.

"Is that for me?" she said. "Wow, friend. That's really thoughtful!"

"Well, it's the least I can do," Steven said back, albeit sheepishly. "I figured I owed you an apology for causing you an allergic reaction. You could say a gift would be appropriate and, plus, I made this myself! On behalf of my restaurant, my staff, and especially me, I would like to apologise."

Diantha gratefully accepted the gift, although she wondered if it was really necessary. She had a close look at it to find a small cake of LaBrie, a healthy serving of De Cyllage, a bunch of Persim berries and several apples, oranges, and grapes. It looked marvelous.

"Apology accepted, Steven, but I think you might have pushed it too far with a gift like this. I'm flattered!" she said, and looked pleased all the same, as she put the basket to the side table. "By the way, if you're wondering how I'm doing, I'm feeling great. It's only been a couple days, but I've recovered."

"I didn't even know you were conscious," Steven said. "How long have you been awake for?"

"Oh, since this morning," Diantha replied. "One moment, I was in your restaurant, and the next, I'm in the Pokémon Centre. Just how random can things get?"

"Has Cynthia dropped by, by any chance?" Steven added.

Suddenly, Diantha raised a suspicious eyebrow against him. "Well, I wouldn't know myself, seeing as you're practically my only visitor. I'm more surprised she hasn't dropped by either. Oh wait, would you have spent some quality time with her, by any chance?"

At once, for the briefest instant, Steven's memories flowed back to Route 10 where he was supposed to have some alone time but was interrupted by Cynthia –

"No," he coolly said, pushing his thoughts aside. "Not at all. There's nothing between us, and for better reasons."

But Diantha, apparently, was showing just how much she was enjoying teasing him. "Are you sure? I'll have you know that she looked at you pretty often that night, so doesn't that mean something? Otherwise…"

Steven had to hold up a hand for her silence. "Just no, no, and no," he quickly said. "Besides, am I not spending quality time right now? _Avec toi_?"

Diantha shook her head, whilst smiling. "Don't try to change the subject, friend. Oh, are you trying to flirt with me? I'm flattered enough as it is already, but I'm sure there's always a special someone else in your life. That's none of my business, of course. That doesn't change the fact that you probably saw more of her these days."

Steven's smile faltered and he refused to say anything more. However, Diantha was fine with that. Despite having been in hospital for days, it was worthwhile to have this conversation with Steven. True, she supposed she might be jealous of Cynthia, but she had to admit they were perfect for each other. Cynthia and Steven.

Why was it that Steven failed to notice? Or perhaps Diantha was wrong, that Steven might harbour no feelings at all. But even if Cynthia didn't catch his eyes, he certainly caught Cynthia's.

"Anyway, I should have been warned about your allergies in the first place," he said, moving onto a different topic. "But you didn't notify me about anything! Just what are you allergic to?"

"Oh," Diantha said. "Coconut. Before you say anything, Steven, I hope you didn't have your foods anything near coconut, otherwise, I would have probably collapsed."

"No! That's not possible," Steven denied. "I don't think we've prepared any food that night that had anything near coconut and what not –"

He stopped short, as if something popped into mind. Something familiar. Something rash. Something that required more information.

"Excuse me, Diantha, but I have to go," he said, standing up. "You know, that might be the case that my food was near coconut, and I'm sorry for that. It won't happen again. Plus, the next time you drop by, your next meal is on me."

Diantha looked very touched by Steven's offer and nodded as he left the room. After he left, Diantha picked up her gift basket to examine the contents. Cheese and fruit… She had a craving for fruit right now! Only a minute later, she was eating a few grapes and Persim berries. They were surprisingly fresh.

Steven was really kind and generous, wasn't he?

* * *

Was it a coincidence that Wallace, Winona, _and_ Lisia happened to stop by the Battle Château? Perhaps it was, but it was no coincidence they decided to check out what was going on, anyway. After they had their fill from Vue sur la Lune's café, they all agreed to go on a walk. It was just the commotion in front of the facility that caught their attention.

So they ended up checking it out.

"It seems like something's happening. Is there anything special about that building?" Wallace said, as he pointed at the château and the number of tents and stalls set near it.

"That's the Battle Château…" Winona groaned, shaking her head at Wallace's lack of knowledge.

"And I smell brownies!" Lisia piped, with her eyes lighting up. "Oh gosh, it's… coming from over there…"

She drifted away into following the strong smell of chocolate, and only to find a group of people seated at set tables and watching the chef do the cooking and baking. From the smell of it, it seemed like the cooking was almost done.

"I see Sophie…" Wallace said, gazing at the tables and seeing Sophie's black hair. "Yup, and it looks like she's on a date. Ha! So my hunch was right after all!"

"And mine too!" Lisia added. "I knew she had someone! Ooh, but wait, uncle! I see Cynthia!"

Thanks to Wallace's professional skills at charming others, he managed to sneak a table via one of the fan club staff and it wasn't before long that Winona and Lisia were seated too. Lo and behold, there was Cynthia furiously working away at creating a dessert.

_And Steven is far too busy doing his own thing when he could have been here all this time_, Wallace thought. _Cynthia's making brownies, and he might have enjoyed this!_

But there was an alternative to Wallace's desire for bothering people. Laurent and Sophie were right there, so why not make easy? Wallace ended up walking over to Sophie from behind, and he definitely took her by surprise.

Especially right at the moment when she was talking to her co-worker – it was that handsome co-worker of Sophie's that Wallace saw once every so often at Steven's restaurant.

"Ah, Sophie, my friend!" Wallace greeted cheerfully, so cheerfully such that he caught the attention of other fan club members nearby. "How are things? Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Sophie did express some shock at this sudden appearance, and it only got worse when she realised Wallace caught her talking to… Laurent. As a result, Sophie became very flustered and she was at a loss for words.

"Oh I see. It's fine, Sophie. You needn't say any more," Wallace went on, never minding Sophie's current state. "You could have told me all this time that you found a boyfriend! I would have never guessed it was your co-worker!"

But Sophie simply had to bury her head and arms onto the table to hide her boiling emotions. Tears of embarrassment flowed from her serious eyes and it seemed like there was no end. Laurent, on the other hand, edged closer to Sophie unsure of what to do at first – but pat a hand on her shoulder.

Unfortunately, Laurent took into account of the number of fellow club members who were talking indistinctly amongst themselves. Some commented with respect to Sophie, while others were smiling and giggling at the interaction. Laurent wondered if he and Sophie would ever be perceived the same again.

"Calm down, calm down," Laurent whispered.

"Ooh… So there IS someone after all!" another voice, Lisia's, chimed in. Laurent looked back to see her talk directly to Sophie. "You know, you ought to talk to your boyfriend more often. After all, he's the only one in the whole wide world who really 'gets' you."

"ARRRRGH!" Sophie screamed, suddenly on her feet and throwing her hands up in the air. The _tears_ continued to fall. "You are so annoying!"

At once, she stormed away from the table and left everyone else behind. It just so happened that while Sophie was leaving in a fit, Cynthia had finished creating her desserts and had the fan club staff serve them. Sophie's outburst caught her attention, though Cynthia had no idea for what reason Sophie would be so angry about, but the food mattered more.

Eventually, before Laurent made up his mind to go after his co-worker, a plastic plate was served before him. What was it? A very, very, very, hot brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and bits and pieces of fudge. It looked like that if it wasn't consumed immediately, the ice cream would simply melt into the brownie – which incidentally wasn't a bad idea.

He hesitated for a moment, but then Laurent opted to bring the brownie with him. "_Excusez-moi. Je dois partir_," he said to Wallace, and soon enough Laurent was gone. Where did that leave Wallace? He got to have a plate of the appetising brownie with ice cream and fudge – and Winona and Lisia too.

"You know, if only Steven or Cynthia was that easy to crack – they'd be married already. Don't worry, what we have done will be a favour for Sophie and her boyfriend! This looks good…" he muttered, reaching for the spoon to get a fill of chocolatey taste.

Winona looked very much like she was in the mood to have some too, but before she could reach for her spoon, her plate was swiped away! Alarmed, Winona looked up to see Laurent taking her rightful dessert away from her!

"I forgot. She wanted two," Laurent said with a grin. He walked away.

Winona looked very disappointed, but was surprised when Wallace pushed his plate before her eyes. In a sudden, her disappointment disappeared, but was replaced by confusion. Even more so, Wallace scooped a bit of brownie and ice cream and held the spoon up.

"What is this, Wallace?" she said.

But to her astonishment, Wallace edged his face closer to her as well as the spoon. "It's for you, my dear," he whispered, lightly poking Winona's lips with the spoon.

Winona blushed, and then took a mouthful of brownie. One thing was for certain, she was pleased as punch. On the other hand Lisia had a brownie for herself but couldn't eat it, since she was distracted by watching her uncle and Winona. At first, Winona looked flattered, but then she fed Wallace a bit of the brownie too. The two of them were looking like they were on a date!

_And just like someone I know_, Lisia thought, glancing at Cynthia who was serving desserts nonstop.

When her brownie arrived, Lisia grinned and started eating straight away. Sure, it may be slightly fattening, but it was Cynthia's cooking. How would it be _not_ worth trying?

* * *

**I could never get over Sophie's outburst, ever. Review, and you could try a bit of the gift basket Steven had prepared. It is a good combination!**

**Am I not generous by not giving you a brownie with fudge and ice cream? Rest assured, that comes later.**


End file.
